Changing from Within
by Elf117
Summary: When Louise and her friends awaken to find themselves on the Hogwarts Express, it's a dream come true. Until the reality sinks in. Louise is alone and isolated in the house of the snakes. How is she going to make great changes to the world when she is in the house who hates her for her parentage? Will Louise manage to maintain her long running friendships? AN UPDATE EVERY SATURDAY.
1. Chapter 1 - Awakening

_**Changing from Within**_

 _Chapter One_

Awakening

As I slowly drift back from my dreams, a rumbling, vibration feeling fills my senses. In my somehow seated position, my head is lying against a hard, smooth, cool glasslike substance, sitting on a comfortable yet straight backed chair. Murmurs and slight chatting come from the other side of my make shift headrest.

 _This is not my bedroom._

Cautiously, I decide to open my eyes. My face is smudged up against a see through glass and, looking through it, I see a similar glass on the opposite side of a small hallway. The other glass panel has a red curtain covering it from the inside. I lift my head to find the glass panel is in fact, a door.

I turn my eyes to the room I am in. The first object to catch my eye is a young, auburn haired female in black jeans and a black hoodie.

Frowning, I continue looking in the carriage, seeing four others in the compartment, a tall boy, and three girls, one of them blinking around, much like me.

"Hullo." I say bluntly, speech still addled by sleep.

"Hi." She says back, lifting an arm to push her short blonde hair from her face, next to her a large window gives us a view of countryside passing by.

"I'm Louise, and you?" I ask, looking back at her.

"Hannah." She answers, eyeing me warily. "Any idea where we are?"

"On a train?" I Answer-ask.

"How did we get here? Last I remember is going to bed last night." The girl frowns, blinking slowly, her light blue eyes dulled by sleep.

"Same. But this is definitely not where I fell asleep." I inform the young girl, "Do you know who they are?" I ask Hannah, glancing away from her towards the two girls next to her.

"No." She says, looking out the glass door distractedly.

"Okay then. What about where we are?" I try again.

"You answered that one, we're on a train." She replies, light blue eyes flicking past me and back towards the window, right next to her.

"Okay. So neither of us know where we are. We have just been packed in a train and you are okay with it?" I ask skeptically.

"I only woke up about a minute before you. And there's no point crying about it. I presumed one of you would know." She replies.

"And your parents? Your family? You were moved here in the middle of the night!" I exclaim.

"Yeah, but this is a dream." She answers.

"It doesn't feel like a dream to me." I inform her before a grunt from beside me distracts the two of us.

The only boy in the compartment jerks up, looking around before fixing dark blue eyes on Hannah.

"Where 'm I?" He asks slowly as he stretches.

"On a train." I answer, he turns to look at me.

"Well no duh Sherlock!" He groans. "Uh...who are you?" He then asks, his eyes switching to Hannah.

"I'm Louise and that's Hannah." I tell him.

"I'm Gregor." He says, looking to the petite ginger in front of him.

"God! That cannot be comfy!" He winces.

Hannah and I look to the girl to see she was sitting straight backed with her chin tilted, leaning on her chest.

"She's gonna have one sore neck when she wakes." I agree, wincing.

Then something triggers.

"Gregor?" I repeat, looking from him to Hannah to the ginger. "No freaking way!" I then shout, causing the auburn girl in front of me to jerk awake, glaring around her.

"What?" Gregor hisses

"Gregor Forester?" I ask. His head shoots back to mine, eyes wide.

"How do you-?" He begins but I cut him off, turning to Hannah.

"Hannah Gray?" I say to her hesitantly, she nods, looking wearily between me and Gregor.

"I'm Louise!" I exclaim, but they both give me blank looks as the glaring girl begins to sit up. "Louise Nelson." I finish, a grin appearing on my face.

"Well that certainly is an odd coincidence," Gregor says, "but last I remember you were all like 19 years old, not, what? Ten? This is some weird ass dream!"

"How the heck do I know?" I answer.

"Huh? Wha's goin' on?" The newly awakened girls glare had turned into a blank expression as she looks between Gregor and me.

"We've all been kidnapped." I inform her with a wry grin.

"Huh? Why are you happy about that? Who are you?" I roll my eyes at her as her eyes widen, backing further into the cushioned seat behind her.

"Same questions every time." I mock sigh before leaning forward and shaking the still sleeping ginger.

Steph, Hannah, Gregor and Louise," Gregor answers Megan as Steph looks up, blinking innocently at us.

I turn to the last girl in the compartment, a girl I vaguely recognize, but whom had never met my four childhood friends.

Katherine Pillox. My best friend from College. _What is she doing here?_

"You better have tea." The younger form of Steph tells me, light blue eyes narrowed dangerously.

I shake Katherine slightly, watching as she shakes her head and scrunched her face before finally opening her eyes to look around, looking panicky once she realizes her situation.

"Apparently we've been kidnapped," Megan tells Steph. Katherine jerks back, I quickly get of my seat and kneel on the floor in front of her as her breathing begins to come in sharp, shaky pants.

"Katherine," I begin, "it's all right. I'm Louise from College. These are the people whom I introduced you to."

"You're all ten years old!" Katherine exclaims, beginning to shake.

"So are you." Gregor unhelpfully informs her, making her glare at him.

"I'm eighteen years old, thank you." She states slowly, calming down.

"Yeah, so am I," Gregor informs her.

"And I'm nineteen." I tell them. Behind me, I hear Hannah moving.

"I'm eighteen too. This is some weird ass dream." She informs us, I smirk at her bluntness.

"But-" Katherine tries, blankly staring at us.

"So? Where's my tea?" Steph asks, I turn to glare at her to find her smiling gently at Katherine.

Before any of us could answer, the compartment door slides open and we all turn to face the small, bushy brown haired girl who walks in.

"Hi, have any of you seen a toad? Neville lost his," she asks in a prim voice, stepping to the side to allow us to see a plump, black haired boy sniveling silently.

"No, sorry." I say, staring up at the girl with eyes wide open, realization dawning. "You could get an older person to try a summoning charm though."

"What?" Hannah, Gregor and Megan exclaim, looking at me as though I was nuts.

"Why didn't I think of that?" The girl complains, slumping slightly.

"We can't all be geniuses like me." I tell her with a grin.

"I'm Hermione Granger. And you are?" The girl informs me, holding out her hand, I stand back up and step over Gregor's feet to take it, a grin forming, I don't care if this is a dream or not, this is awesome.

"Louise." I tell her, shaking the hand. "That's Gregor next to me, Katherine at the end, Hannah and Steph there and Megan next to me." I inform her, the others are all frozen in vague versions of shock.

"Are you all first years too?" She asks, I nod. "Great! What houses do you want to be in? I've read all about them in-"

"Hogwarts: A History" I answer for her, "don't you have a toad to find?"

"Oh yeah! Thanks." Hermione says before turning and leaving, taking Neville with her.

I turn back to my friends

"Oh. My. Goodness." I exclaim alongside Gregor.

"What!?" Katherine snaps, glaring from Gregor to me to the door.

"That was Hermione Granger!" I inform her.

"So that means..." Hannah begins, Megan, Gregor and I answer her.

"We're going to Hogwarts!" We shout simultaneously.

"But we're muggles." Katherine informs us slowly, "we can't do magic."

"We can't be on the express if we can't do magic." Gregor answers. "And how do you explain us all being eleven if we can't do magic?"

"A dream?" Hannah answers this time.

"Well, there's a bunch of trunks up there," I point to the shelves above our heads, "they're bound to have wands in them!"

Deciding my logic is sound, we reach up to our respective trunks. Unclamping it, I find a stick of deep brown wood stuck on a piece of paper. I reach for the paper first.

 _Louise, I am sorry for the confusion you must be experiencing around about now. But this is necessary to save the future of both of our kinds. The magic I used to take you and your friends back in time, was a complex and taxing one, so I won't be able to see you face to face or correspond until after the Christmas break when I will be able to join you. The spell I created and used, has given you each magic and identification in the wizarding world. It will be up to you and your friends to create to and stick to a credible story. Your wand, as is attached to this sheet, has been specially crafted to serve you. It is a 10 and 3/4 length hazel wood wand with a Unicorn Hair core. I hope that it shall serve you well as you go around creating a better wizarding world._

Taking the wand in my hand, I close my eyes in bliss as a feeling of completeness and energy sores through me.

"Alder wood, Unicorn Hair core," Steph says as I turn from my trunk to look at everyone else. She is holding the wand in her left hand and letter in her right, looking at her wand with wide eyes.

I pout seeing it is a good bit longer than mine. Turing from Steph, I turn to see everyone else holding different sizes and colours of wands.

After ten full minutes of jubilation, Gregor yet again asks the question niggling at the back of my mind.

"Seriously though, why do we look ten?"

"I'm guessing we're 11, to be going to Hogwarts," Megan answers, with nothing else to go on, we all shrug.

"And Harry, are we gonna try and help him?" I add in.

"Well yes!" Gregor voices with a _well duh_! Roll of his eyes.

"Befriend him and tell him the future!? He'll think we're nuts!" Hannah adds.

"Well help him subtly? Pretend we have prophetic dreams or something?" Megan asks, I frown, that could work. "But we'd have to research it, if we befriend Harry, we befriend Hermione," Megan adds, "and she'd find us out pretty quickly.

"What about Halloween? We can't put them in danger if we know about it! They're kids at this stage!" I exclaim.

"Louise, they're kids for the next seven years, and so are we!" Katherine reminds me.

"But we have the minds of of age witches, therefore we're responsible."

"No, Dumbledore's responsible." Gregor puts in.

"Dumbledore won't do jack shit!" I shout, the cabin resounds in silence. The other four looking at me in shock.

"I agree with Louise," Hannah starts weakly, "I've heard all the reasoning's behind Dumbledore's being no help," she adds at the four glares turning her way.

"And what are they?" Megan asked.

The door opens, cutting me off pre-rant,

"Anything from the trolley dears?" The little lady asks, my stomach plummets, nineteen in mind or not, sweeties for breakfast is appealing as hell.

Desperately checking my pockets, my eyes light up at the unfamiliar feel of coinage, and a paper note, talking them out, I see two silver coins, three brown coins and a gold.

Knut, sickle and galleon.

"Yes please," I grin, getting up and looking at the sweets.

Two cauldron cakes and three fizzing whiz bees later, its Gregor's turn. Who needs to borrow my two sickles and galleon to pay for his bucket load of sweets? I get a Knut back.

"Between you and Harry", I say to Gregor, "they'll be no sweets left." He just grins.

I turn to the paper which had been in my pocket.

 _Miss Nelson, you and your friends have been brought back in order to help the wizarding world which was falling into disrepair in your current time. By befriending and changing the views of certain classmates, I am sure you all can do wonders to save our world._

 _Many thanks, D._

"Huh?" I ask, looking at the back of the note.

"What?" Steph asks after swallowing a mouthful of sweets.

"Looks like we got another note," I tell her, the other four lean in and read it together, "and he signed it."

"Who's D? Dumbledore?" Hannah asks.

"No, it can't be, Dumbledore dies, remember?" Gregor puts in.

"Point." Hannah concedes.

"Then who the hell is it?" I blurt out, but with no further notes to be found, we give up on trying to speculate and instead turn to the mound of sweets on the floor between us.

As the sky outside darkens, we quiet once more, Steph falling back asleep. Eventually, we are jerked back to awareness by a loud voice filling the carriage.

"We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."

Looking around bleary eyed, I catch sight of the luggage which had been hastily stuffed above Steph and Megan's heads and snort, beginning to giggle.

"What?" Hannah asks, leaning forward to stare at me past Gregor.

"Imagine taking these on the boats," I say through the giggles, nodding towards the suitcases. Steph smiles sleepily and we lapse back into a tired silence.

When the train does stop, we join the end of the throng heading out of the carriage and out onto the cold platform, shivering and pulling our cloaks tighter as we look around.

Over the heads of everyone, I notice a small, yellow flame, nice and smug inside a lamp. I grin as I hear the familiar voice.

"C'mon, follow me - any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!" Hagrid's voice calls over the thunderous chattering of the students around us. I grin, my heart racing as we walk over to the ginormous, hairy man.

Next to me stands Draco Malfoy, platinum blonde hair shining in the tiny light as he mutters about the oaf. I ignore him, not wanting him to spoil my mood.

The path Hagrid leads us down is pitch black, all I can see is Malfoy's almost pure white hair. Behind me Steph has grabbed the back of my cloak for support as we blindly make our way down.

"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid eventually calls, him and his tiny light disappearing round a corner, "jus' 'round this bend here."

In front, as people rounded the corner, they all said "oooooh" Malfoy pushes the girl in front of him then rounds the corner. I am next.

"Wow!" I say as I turn, seeing the large, glittering castle in front of me sitting perilously on the edge of a huge, black cliff.

"Wow, it's big!" Steph whispers from behind, releasing her hold on my cloak.

"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid informs us, drawing my attention to a fleet of small boats floating on the murky water.

With a silent discussion, Steph, Megan, Katherine and I end up in one boat, Gregor and Hannah in another with Hermione and Neville.

"Everyone in?" Hagrid shouts just as I get comfortable in the boat. "Right then - FORWARD!"

We all move off, gliding smoothly over the dark water, everyone silent as we gaze up at the slowly nearing castle.

I subconsciously reach into my pocket before pulling my hand back and groaning softly in disappointment.

"What?" Megan and Steph ask at once, turning to glare at me.

"My phone." I groan, staring sadly at the castle. "No phone. No Internet. No tv."

"Oh!" Steph realizes with a start. "Not good."

"Supernatural, Doctor Who, Once soon a time, the new Harry Potter book. We're gonna miss it all." My eyes sting as I imagine the catch up we will have to do.

"Yep. But being at Hogwarts makes it worth it all." Katherine tries to comfort me.

"Heads down!" Hagrid orders suddenly as the boats near a narrow part of the cliff. I bend my head, staring at my clasped hands which are starting to become clammy, despite the coldness in the air.

The boats come to a stop and we all clamber out, rocks and pebbles crunching under our feet as we look up to the castle.

"Oy, you there!" Hagrid calls, looking past me and to the right, directly at a small, chubby boy. "Is this your toad?"

"Trevor!" Neville cries, holding out his hands for the slimy creature.

Hagrid then proceeds to lead us up to the stone steps, towards the huge oak door.

"Everyone here? You there, still got your toad?" Neville nods Hagrid raises a huge fist, knocking three times on the door.

It swung open and Professor McGonagall stood there, her black hair up in a tight bun, a stern expression on her face.

"The firs'-years, Professor McGonagall," Hagrid informs her.

"Thank you, Hagrid, I will take them from here" She pulls the door wider, allowing us to see the Entrance hall and clamber in.

The stone walls reached up and up, dwarfing us, I couldn't even see the ceiling, Harry was not exaggerating. In front was a magnificent marble staircase, leading further in. The urge to explore the endless corridors and rooms overcame me but I stayed still. I will have all year to do so.

"I can't wait to explore this place!" Steph whispers to me, eyes wide and a grin on her face.

"Ditto." I reply in equal wonder and excitement.

McGonagall leads us through a side door before turning to speak, everyone immediately falling silent as she does.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," McGonagall begins, "the start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because while you..."

"How long do you think it took for her to perfect that speech?" I whisper to Steph and Katherine of whom I am squished in the middle. Katherine glares at me, telling me to shut up. Steph sniggers.

"Excuse me, do we have a problem?" McGonagall asks, turning her full glare in our direction.

"No, sorry miss," I murmur, feeling my face heat up as everyone turns to stare at us.

"As I was saying, at the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours." She pointedly stares right at me as she says this.

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting." she glanced around, her eyes lingering on Neville and Ron, "I shall return when we are ready for you," She adds, "Please wait quietly." she left, and I turn to my friends as tons of conversations start at once.

"Yeah, that's smart," I begin with a snort, "believing we will remain quiet!" Megan rolls her eyes.

"What houses do you guys think you'll be in?" Hannah asks, "I'm either Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff.

"Slytherin or Gryffindor," I answer immediately.

Several people next to us scream causing us to look up.

"What the-" Harry exclaims in the silence. Looking behind me, I see the ghosts slowly glide through the wall.

"Wow! Even better in real life!" I tell Megan and Katherine who nod in agreement, eyes wide.

I spend the conversation staring at the silvery-white see-througness of the ghosts in wonder and, just as I'm about to ask how they talk when they don't breathe, Professor McGonagall walks back in.

"Move along now," She orders sharply, "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start." The ghosts, to my disappointment, float away. "Now, form a line and follow me." I quickly jump behind Gregor, Megan lands up behind me and we walkout of the entrance hall and into the Great Hall.

Millions of candles hang around the walls and float above the tables, four huge tables each sitting a couple of hundred students.

From somewhere in front, I hear Hermione whisper about the ceiling. I refuse to look up, knowing that if I do I will end up tripping. Instead, I watch McGonagall. I watch her put a dirty, three legged stool down, the old, black sorting hat above it. I stare at the hat, counting down.

Three.

Two.

One.

The hat begins to sing a long, three minute song. I applause when it is over. Professor McGonagall steps forward, unrolling a long piece of parchment.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," She tells us before immediately shouting the first name.

"Abbot Hannah"

Pink faced, blonde haired Hannah stumbles out of the crowd, puts the hat on, covering her eyes and mouth. The hat takes a moment to decide before shouting it decision.

"Hufflepuff."

The table to our left claps and cheers as a smiling Hannah runs over to join them.

"Bones Susan." went up next, getting sorted into Hufflepuff as well, she runs over to sit next to Hannah.

"You'll be soon." I tell Steph, she gulps, going unnaturally pale.

"Boot Terry" goes to Ravenclaw, the table second to the left cheering for him.

"Brocklehurst Mandy" quickly joined Terry whilst Lavender Brown went to Gryffindor. The table to the far left clapping this time.

"Brown Stephanie." Steph gulps again before slowly walking over and picking up her hat. Her terrified face quickly vanishing under the black hat. It takes a couple minutes before a decision is finally made.

"Gryffindor." A grinning Steph then replaces the hat before running over to sit next to Lavender.

Millicent Bullstrode came after her, becoming the first Slytherin. Then Crabbe joined her before Justin-Finch-Flethly found himself in Ravenclaw. Another name I know personally came up after wards.

"Finlay Megan." I had to give Megan a push in order to force her to step up. The decision was a long one. Eventually, the hat opened its mouth.

"Hufflepuff." I raise an eyebrow as she joins the table. I had honestly expected her to be in Ravenclaw. After Megan was Seamus Finnegan before another name I knew, yet not from the Potter universe came up.

"Forrester Gregor"

Gregor then proceeds to walk up to the stool.

"Ravenclaw." the hats decision was instantaneous.

After Gregor went Goyle who quickly joined Crabbe at the Slytherin table.

Hermione was called up after, sitting next to Steph once her house had been called.

"Gray Hannah,"

I smile encouragingly at Hannah as she nervously takes the hat. Her decision is another immediate one.

"Hufflepuff."

She grins as she walks over to sit next to Megan.

Neville is after Hannah, taking a seat opposite Hermione, Steph and Lavender. Two Slytherins, Morag McDougal and Draco Malfoy follow him. Then comes the name I have been both dreading and anticipating.

"Nelson Louise."

I gulp, my feet suddenly jelly as I walk towards the hat, trying and failing miserably to ignore the thousands of eyes on me. Taking a seat on the stool, I place the musty hat on my head, thankfully hiding the stares.

' _Another from the future then, hmm?'_ The hat asks as I settle on the seat. Not another instantaneous answer then, I think wryly.

' _Yeah, suppose it looks that way, huh?'_ I reply.

' _Two houses would suit you well_ ,' I am them informed, ' _Slytherin or Gryffindor.'_

' _Why those two? Why not the other two_?' I immediately ask.

 _'Although you hold your friends incredibly dear to you, you are not as willing to create a large group, as would be expected of a Hufflepuff. As for Ravenclaw, you are certainly smart enough, yet you hold your knowledge and use it to get what you want, Ravenclaw's use their knowledge to be the best, something you are not at all fond off, you would not fit in here, at all.'_

' _Fair enough_ ,' I agree with a shrug.

' _But you do have a curious mind, a very unique way of thinking_ ,' He tells me slowly, thinking it through.

' _In other words, clean and simple insanity_ ,' I answer dryly, grinning.

 _'You will do whatever it takes to help those you consider friends, or to correct what you believe is wrong. You have a way of making people like you - you may do well in changing the Slytherin House for good, I think it's decided._

' _Slytherin_ '


	2. Chapter 2 - Welcome to Slytherin

_**Changing from Within**_

 _Chapter two_

Welcome to Slytherin

I glare at the hat as I take it off my head.

"I did not agree to that, at all." I inform it before dropping it sharply back onto the stool.

With a great reluctance, I turn from Hannah and Megan in Hufflepuff, Gregor in Ravenclaw and Steph in Gryffindor. I make my way slowly to the reluctantly clapping Slytherins.

 _I'm a Muggleborn._

 _I am of muggle blood and I have been put in Slytherin._

Swallowing sharply, I take a reluctant seat at the very edge of the table, carefully ensuring I am at the opposite side of the sneering Draco Malfoy.

To distract myself from my ultimate doom, I turn my attention to the stool I recently vacated to watch Michael Moon take his seat. He quickly gets sorted into Ravenclaw and takes a seat next to Gregor. Theodore Nott is called up.

"Slytherin." _Well,_ I try and cheer myself up a bit, _at least_ he _doesn't look like he wants to murder me on the spot._

Pansy is called next, a smug smile on her face as she puts the hat on. The Patil twins are after, Padma in Ravenclaw and Parvati joining Steph, taking a seat next to Hermione. Harry is after, the roar coming from Steph's table is deafening as he walks over to them.

Peter Perks then makes Ravenclaw before Mary-Sally Anne becomes a Hufflepuff.

"Katherine Pollus," is called up next, I watch with baited breathe as she takes a seat, visibly shaking under the much too large hat.

"Ravenclaw," the hat decides, rather quickly. Katherine removes the hat and heads over to the Ravenclaw table. Once sitting down, she catches my eyes, looking lost among all those she barely knows. I answer in turn, nudging my head to the side, where I know half the house is glaring at me.

"Seaton Adam." I jerk at the name of my ex-boyfriend, turning from my silent conversation to watch as the minuscule guy swaggers up to the stool.

' _What's he doing here? He doesn't even like Harry Potter! It's not scientific enough for him_ ,' I blink, eyes not moving from the tiny, immature guy. Out of the side of my eye, I see Steph eyeing me with a smirk from her table.

"Don't you start!" I mouth, glaring daggers at her.

"Ravenclaw." The hat decides.

' _That'll make things slightly easier_.' I decide, having half expected him to be put in Slytherin, I track him as he walks over to sit opposite the much taller form of Gregor, next to Katherine. By the way they both turn to Gregor, then me, I guess Gregor has quickly introduced Katherine to him.

Adam turns to me with a smirk, catches sight of the rest of my house and covers his mouth, but is unable to cover the shaking of his shoulders.

I narrow my eyes, promising retribution as Lisa Turpin, the third last student, goes to Ravenclaw.

Only two were left. Ron Weasely and Blaise Zagini. Once sorted, Blaise taking the seat directly opposite me, McGonagall takes the stool and the hat away and Dumbledore gets up. I stare at his pure white, super long beard in fascination ... As well as a distraction from the hate I'm sure to receive as soon as the feast starts.

"Welcome!" He says, a beaming smile just visible through the humongous beard. _He had to have used magic to get it that big!_ "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words-" I say the next words along with him, having watched the movies far too many times. "Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!"

Turning with a red face, I try and keep my eyes on the food in front of me but can't ignore the multitude of daggers being sent my way.

Taking a deep breath, and clenching my fists, I look up with a wide grin.

"Hey, nice to meet you all!" I say in a forced cheery voice, keeping a bright expression as my insides wither away in mortification. "I'm Louise, and you all are?"

"You're a mudblood." Draco sneers from his position looking at me.

I stare blankly back at him. Blinking slowly.

"That is not biologically possible." I inform him, to which I receive an equally blank stare in return. "If my blood was made of mud, I wouldn't be alive, as mud can't carry oxygen through me."

"What are you on about?" A girl from my side, sitting directly opposite the blonde eejit asks. I turn to her and immediately recognize her as Pansy Parkinson. I blink in shock. . Her wide, blue eyes are perfectly round, I mean a perfect circle, showing the whites around the _entire_ iris.

"Wow, you have some ... Nice eyes." I solemnly state, placing a hand gently over my chest-

 _ **Where the hell are my boobs!**_ Throwing dignity out the window, I glance down in shock to see my chest is completely flat. _Oh no. Oh Rassilon please no! I have to go through puberty_ _ **again**_ _!_

A cough from my left brings me back from my horror as I realize round eyes and Blonde eejit are still waiting for a reply.

"Basic biology?" I ask, to receive nothing. Even Daphne and Blaise, whom I had had high hopes from, look completely blank. "What do they teach you people?" I ask in horror.

"How to be a proper pureblood." Draco informs me pompously.

"What the heck does that mean!?" I exclaim, "Blood is blood. It goes through your heart, collects oxygen from your lungs, then goes to the rest of your body, depositing your oxygen and picking up CO2 then depositing it back into your lungs where you can breathe it out again. You can't have 'Pure' blood, if it was Pure, there's be no way for it to pick up CO2 and you'd die from Carbon poisoning."

Everyone keeps staring at me blankly, even some of the older years look completely lost, like I had begun speaking some foreign language.

"You know?" I try weakly, expecting SOMEONE to at least understand what I'm on about. "What school did you all go to before here? I can tell you it hasn't been certified by the government."

"I was homeschooled." Draco states proudly, many others murmur in agreement, nodding along.

"If you don't know basic biology, I wouldn't be proud about that!" I snap back.

"Why should we bother needing to know Biology?" An older student asks, "That's just some Muggle thing,"

"Don't you want to know how your body works? What puberty is doing to you?" I turn to those in my year, "what it will do to us?"

"What's Puberty?" Blaise asks, putting his fork down, taking a sudden interest in the conversation.

"Your body changes as you become a teenager. Males-" I pause, feeling my face heat up as I realize I was about to inform them about the penises getting larger - "uh a males nether regions start growing?" I trail off awkwardly, but judging by the lack of realization, I'm going to have to go into further detail.

"A male's penis will get larger and grow, you will experience wet dreams, you will begin to grow hair, your voices will begin to crack.

"And girls, we start to grow boobs, we get periods, we grow taller, get major hormone swings."

"A period?" An older girl, probably around thirteen asks, "What is that?" Other people along the table are beginning to look reluctantly interested, I'm guessing as many of them have experienced what this random first year is laying out for them.

"We bleed out for about a week every month."

"What!"

"What!"

"How?"

"Isn't that dangerous!?"

I hold in my laughter at the sudden outrage and notice a bunch of older girls have turned red, some others look terrified.

"Yup. In order to become fertile, we need to begin our period, which means our ovaries release an egg each month, but if it isn't fertilized by a sperm, then your womb will release all the blood it had been storing in preparation."

"Ovaries?"

"Womb?"

"Fertilized?"

I slump as I realize the reality of how little these girls know about what they will be experiencing in the next couple years, it's not right to be led blindly into it all.

"I think this is a topic best discussed elsewhere." I decide, suddenly noticing the smell that had been tingling my senses for the last conversation.

There is roast sitting right in front of me. I immediately reach forward, eyes wide at the thought of some food-

For it to vanish.

"What-?" My hands uselessly come back to me as I stare at where the delicious looking roast head been.

Then it's replaced by every kind of desert I could think off.

Having not had any tea, however, I ignore the chocolate cakes, and the jelly (bleurgh) and the pies, and the mousses and the ice cream of every colour and the Victoria sponge and the Eton mess and the sticky toffee pudding and the cremebrulé and the parfait.

I instead turn to the large bowl of strawberries, quickly reaching over and snatching it.

To my surprise, no one seems at all interested in the large bowl of delicious fruit I just stole. Instead they all reach for the cakes and ice cream. Shrugging, I settle down and start on my strawberries.

"So?" An older male asks me, spoon full of some steaming sticky toffee pudding. I glance over at him, my latest strawberry halting on its way to my mouth, "are you a mudblood?"

"I think I have already explained that no, my blood is not made of mud." I snap to him in annoyance, quickly stuffing the juicy red sweetness in my mouth before I'm distracted again.

"Are your parents magical, is what he meant to say," Daphne puts in from next to me, I turn to her with a sad smile.

"No idea." I answer honestly. _Considering I've been plonked back in time,_ I reason to myself, _I don't know who my parents are here._

"How could you NOT know who your parents are?" Draco sneers, I blink at him, raising an eyebrow.

"Quite easily. They died before I got to know them. Me and my frie-siblings were brought up together by a Squib." I quickly make up. I'll need to cover why I know my friends as well as I do, and why I seem to have no parents.

"Who are you're siblings?" Blaise asks, I nod to the Gryffindor table, "see the Ginger next to the fluffy brunette?" I ask, the others turn and nod, "that's Steph. Then past her, at the Ravenclaw table, the tall, guy with curly blonde hair is Gregor. Opposite him, the girl with dark hair is Katherine and next to her, the tiny boy, is Adam. Then at the Hufflepuff table, facing away from us, the black haired, and blonde bobbed girls are Megan and Hannah respectively."

"You all live together?" pansy asks, looking slightly sick. I nod.

"Our parents were best friends," I make up, "they all died-" _come on, come on, THINK_ , "-in an explosion when we were babies." I finish lamely. Thankfully they seem to buy it.

"Oh," Pansy says, looking away awkwardly.

"But we're they magical?" Draco persists, I glare at him.

"Are you deaf?" I snarl, feeling a surge of anger rippling through my chest, the air around us seems to get cooler, Daphne and Crabbe, sitting on either of me, shiver. "I said I don't know. They died. We were put in a home together. We got adopted by some Squib who recognized some accidental magic."

The table around me is silent as I breathe in slowly, counting to four, then breathe out, counting to seven. I feel my shoulders relax, the air gets warmer again, Draco avoids my gaze, looking down at his bowl of chocolate ice cream.

Slytherin has been subdued.

Sending a last withering glare at the idiotic moron, I concentrate on my strawberries as talk slowly begins to start up again.

After my I-lost-track-how-many strawberry, I finally started to feel full. Pudding suddenly vanishes and I turn to the head table, feeling eyes still on me.

"Ahem - just a few more words now we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you.

"First years should note that the forest in the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well." Dumbledore glances over at the Weasely twins.

"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors.

"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madame Hooch.

"And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."

I turn to watch the Slytherins reactions, many of the older ones are rolling their eyes at Dumbledore's warning. Whilst the younger are whispering, doubtlessly making plans to go check out the forbidden Corridor.

 _A school full of teenagers,_ I snarl at the friendly looking old man, _and you believe a challenge like that is going to keep them away? Do you know_ _ **nothing**_ _of how teenagers work?_ My internal rant is cut short as Dumbledore starts speaking again.

"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" Cries Dumbledore, giving his wand a flick. A long, golden ribbon shoots out, twisting itself into words.

"Everyone pick their favorite tune," Dumbledore tells us, "and off we go!"

I choose a happy, bouncy tune as I sing along, quietly under my breath, letting my words be lost in the cacophony.

 _Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,_  
 _Teach us something please,_  
 _Wether we be old and bald_  
 _Or young with Scabby knees,_  
 _Our heads could do with filling_  
 _With some interesting stuff,_  
 _For now they're bare and full of air,_  
 _Dead flies and bits of fluff_  
 _So teach us things worth knowing,_  
 _Being back what we forgot,_  
 _Just do your best, well do the rest,_  
 _And learn until our brains all rot._

The last to finish are the Weasely twins, sounding sad and morose as they sing, the polar opposite of how I sung it.

"Ah, music," Dumbledore says after the clapping had stopped, "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"

At his dismissal, two prefects stand up and head towards us, the girl is tall, with short, bobbed brown hair, next to her is a stalky, mean looking guy.

As the rest of the houses, as well as the Slytherins, start heading out of the Hall, the young woman Prefect turns to us, getting us to follow only when the crowds have dispersed.

"Congratulations," she begins as the male steps to the back of us, she takes us out of the hall and to the left, towards a set of stairs heading down. "I'm Prefect GLouise Farley and that's Prefect Darlin Cadder, and we're delighted to welcome you to Slytherin house." We take a left turn at the bottom of the stairs as GLouise continues talking.

"Our emblem is the serpent, the wisest of creatures; our house colours are emerald green and silver and our common room lies behind a concealed entrance down in the dungeons." she points to a green drapery hanging off the wall and steps up to it.

"Cunning," she says, the tapestry splits in the middle, pulling to the sides and revealing a brick wall slowly opening, much like the one at Diagon Alley would. We step inside, gazing around as the wall seals shut behind us.

"As you can see," GLouise continues, "it's Windows look out into the depths of the Hogwarts Lake. We often see the giant squid swooshing by - and sometimes more interstitial creatures. We like to feel that our hangout has the aura of a mysterious, underwater shipwreck."

She walks over to a large, silver fireplace with a large, golden Snake emblem on the wall above it.

"Now, there are a few things you should know about Slytherin - and a few you should forget." Next to me, Draco scoffs, I quickly back up, not wanting him to ruin my introduction.

"Firstly, let's dispel a few myths. You might have heard rumors about Slytherin house - that we're all into the Dark Arts," in front of me know, Draco's platinum blonde hairs nod, I can picture the satisfied smirk on his face. "And will only talk to you if your great-grandfather was a famous wizard, and rubbish like that."

GLouise stops and looks around at us, eyes narrowing, "well, you don't want to believe everything you hear from competing houses. I'm not denying that we've produced our share of Dark Wizards, but so have the other three houses - they just don't like admitting it. And yes, we have traditionally tended to take students who come from long lines of witches and wizards, but nowadays you'll find plenty of people in Slytherin house who have at least one muggle parent." Draco scoffs, I narrow my eyes at the back of the pompous little git.

"Here's a little-known fact that the other three houses don't bring up much: Merlin was a Slytherin." I blink in shock, having not heard that piece of information before. "Yes, Merlin himself, the most famous wizard in history! He learned all he knew in this very house! Do you want to follow in the footsteps of Merlin?" I nod along with the other eleven year olds. "Or would you rather sit at the old desk of that illustrious ex-Hufflepuff, Eglantine Puffett, inventor of the self-soaping dish cloth?" We obediently shake our heads in the negative.

"But that's enough about what we're not. Let's talk about what we are, which is the coolest and edgiest house in this school. We play to win, because we care about honor and traditions of Slytherin.

"We also get respect from our fellow students. Yes, some of that respect might be tinged with fear, because of our Dark reputation, but you know what? It can be fun having a reputation for walking on the wild side." I wholeheartedly agree with her, smiling at the unexpectedly rousing speech I am receiving. "Chuck out a few hints that you've got access to a whole library of curses, and see if anyone feels like nicking your pencil case.

"But we're not bad people. We're like our emblem, the snake: sleek, powerful and frequently misunderstood. For instance, we Slytherins look after our own - which is more than you can say for Ravenclaw. Apart from being the biggest bunch of swots you ever met, Ravenclaw's are famous for clambering over each other to get good marks," I nod along, having witnessed Gregor's need for the best marks in everything he does, "whereas we Slytherins are brothers. The corridors of Hogwarts can throw up surprises for the unwary, and you'll be glad you've got the serpents on your side as you move around the school. As far as we're concerned, once you've become a snake, your one of ours - an elite.

"Because you know what Salazar Slytherin looked for in his chosen students? The seeds of greatness. You've been chosen by this house because you've got the potential to be great, in the true sense of the word.

"Alright, you may see a couple of people hanging around the common room whom you might not think are destined for anything special. Well, keep that to yourself. If the sorting hat put them in here, there's something great about them and don't you forget it.

"And talking of people who aren't destined for greatness," I start shifting on my feet, legs getting sore at how long this introduction is going on for. I begin to wish for my bed, a chance to take the weight off my feet. "I haven't mentioned the Gryffindor's. Now, a lot of people say that Slytherins and Gryffindor's represent two sides of the same coin. Personally, I think Gryffindor's are nothing more than wannabe Slytherins. Mind you, some people say that Salazar Slytherin and Godric Gryffindor prized the same kind of students, so perhaps we are more similar than we like to think. But that doesn't mean that we cozy up with Gryffindor's. The like beating us only slightly less than we like beating them.

"A few more things you might need to know: our house ghost is the Bloody Baron. If you get on the right side of him, he'll sometimes agree to frighten people for you. Just don't ask him how he got bloodstained; he doesn't like it.

"The password to the common room changes every fortnight. Keep an eye on the notice board," she points to a large, wooden board floating in the air next to the wall out. "Never bring anyone from another house into our common room or tell them our password. No outsider has entered it for more than seven centuries.

"Well, I think that's all for now. I'm sure you'll like our dormitories. We sleep in ancient four-posters with green silk hangings, and bedspreads embroidered with silver thread. Medieval tapestries depicting the adventures of famous Slytherins cover the walls, and silver lanterns hang from the ceilings. You'll sleep well; it's very soothing, listening to the lake water lapping the windows at night.

"Right, off you go, girls dorms are over there to the left," she points to two archways next to each other on the opposite side of the fireplace, "the boys on the right. Your bedrooms will be the first doors you enter, and you're things will already be there.

"Alarms can be set when you get into bed, just state what time you would like to get up, I would recommend seven am and I will walk you to the hall so you don't get lost.

"Warding your own bed is allowed, and unpublishable, so I do not recommend trying to take anyone else's things. Also, do not enter the opposite sexes hall, as the consequences are severe. Goodnight."

With the dismissal, GLouise turns and walks over to a group of girls her own age and sits down to talk. The guy, Darlin, had already left sometime during GLouise's ginormous speech.

Being at the back of the group, I find myself leading everyone else to the dorms, the males cutting off to the right when we reach the archways, which I find are silver cut, with snakes twirling around them.

Inside the archway, is another set of stairs, heading down. Taking them down, the first flight leads us to what is labelled 'bathroom' so we head down the next, getting deeper and deeper under the lake until we reach another door, this one labelled 'First Year Dorms"

Shrugging, I open the door and step in, noticing my trunk next to the bed at the far end of the room, I immediately head over, plonking down on the surprisingly springy mattress before turning to see my Dorm Mates.

Pansy Parkinson is first, taking the bed third away from mine and reaching into her trunk. Directly behind Pansy is Millicent Bullstrode, a large, thick boned girl with an oddly tiny face. She gets the bed next to me, and sits, looking between us. Daphne Greengrass and Tracy Davis take their beds next, Daphne immediately closing her bed off.

"My word, she can sure talk." Tracey complains, falling back on her bed.

"I thought she's never stop." I moan as I lift my feet up, lying flat out on my bed, staring up at the ceiling.

"Did anyone know we'd be sorted by a _hat?"_ Millicent asks, already brushing her hair.

"My parents refused to tell me," Pansy pouts, stripping her robe off already, I quickly turn away as she starts stripping in front of us.

 _My god, I'm like some sort of pervert! I'm nineteen years old, why am I in a dorm with eleven year olds!?_

"Do they even **clean** the thing?" Millicent complains, I hold back a laugh as I begin to change, behind my closed hangings.

"Ew!" Tracey adds, "Can you imagine the lice the thing could have?"

"I bags first shower!" I shout out, rubbing my hair frantically as I take a running leap, pajamas held close to my chest, to the shower.

"That's not fair! You're closest!" Millicent shrieks from behind me, I turn to close the door to find her half way towards me, glaring.

I smirk back, slowly closing the door, "first come, first served." I sing as the door latches behind me.

I turn, taking Stock of what is available. Thankfully, there is a shower, bath, toilet and sink, with five towels on named pegs behind the door.

Heading straight for the shower, I strip of my remaining clothes and step in, relaxing as the instant heat hits my skin. On a shelf under the spout, is a pile of nameless Shampoos, conditioners, body washes and clothes. I select a purple hoofer, and some _'instantly straight shampoo and condition, - dries in seconds!'_

A quick shower and amazingly fast dry - instant dry towels, I step out to allow the pouting Millicent her turn.

Too tired to care for introductions, I pull the curtains over my bed and lie down on the soft mattress.

"Six forty-five, please." I say out loud, above my bed, a little green clock appears, catalogues what I said, and asks what alarm I would like. "Something cheery," I say. The clock vanishes and I assume it took in my order.

"Night, everyone." I call out, receiving two nights back.

My exhausted body quickly falls asleep to the quiet mumbling of Tracy and Pansy.


	3. Chapter 3 - An Eventful Breakfast

_**Changing from Within**_

 _Chapter Three_

An Eventful Breakfast

My dream of parrots taking over the world is interrupted by an annoyingly cheerful voice telling me to wake up.

Instead of awakening, I turn over groaning.

"Louise," the annoyingly perky voice continues, ignoring my groaning, "it is time to face the day and make brand new memories. It is currently twenty-two degrees outside and sunny. Lovely weather for a Friday."

 _Friday? I thought it was Wednesday?_

"What's the date?" I ask, lifting my hands up to rub at the sleep knitting my eyes shut.

"It is Friday, August the second," _August!? It was April yesterday!_ "Nineteen ninety one."

Then it triggers.

 _I'm at Hogwarts! I'm actually at Hogwarts and I have a wand and I can do magic!_

 _And I'm in Slytherin. I'm a muggleborn. In the house that famously hates muggleborn's._

Steph and Megan and Hannah and Gregor and Adam and Katherine are all in different houses. I have to face this alone!

We are still at Hogwarts. This really isn't a dream.

"Oh. My. Rassilon!" I scream, fully awake as the realization properly sinks in. I leap out of my bed, popping out of the curtains to face a blurry wall.

Groaning, I turn and crawl over the other side of the bed to where a nightstand is sitting, within the curtains. Grabbing my glasses, I look at the nightstand where a silver stand nightlight is sitting on the dark brown wood.

Crawling back out from the bed, I head to my suitcase and pull out a comfortable pair of jeans and T-Shirt, pulling the cloak from last night from where it had been launched over the end of the large bed.

Seeing the other curtains still closed, I go to the end of my bed, between the door and the sheets, to get changed, shaking off the weirdness at suddenly being in a much smaller and flatter body.

By the time I finish in the bathroom, the other girls had gotten up. Millicent is already lining up for use of the bathroom.

"This better not become a common thing." She moans lightly, with a slight quirk of her lips as she walks in behind me.

"You'll need to wake up earlier," I smile back as she closes the door.

I open the curtains on my bed and make it before heading back to my trunk, staring from it to the cupboard opposite the bed.

"Will we have lessons today?" I ask as I try and decide my next move.

"Yes," Daphne says as she walks out of the room, not looking at us. I blink at the bluntness but take the initiative to pack a bag.

I take my wand first, placing it in a side pocket, within easy reach.

I search through the suitcase, past the folded up clothes and underwear, the note from yesterday, and put a handful of parchment into a back pack I find at the bottom. Finding a bottle of ink, I place that and a feather quill in a side pocket of the bag.

Then I search through the books until I find _'Magical Drafts and Potions'_ by _Arsenius Jigger'_ I place it in the bottom of my bag as well as a box labelled 'Potions.'

"How do you know we'll have potions?" Tracy asks, sitting next to her trunk eyeing me.

"Uh- just a feeling?" I say with a shrug. Tracy shrugs and pulls out a cauldron, placing it her own bag.

"I certainly hope you're right." She smiles as she finishes adding Potions things to her bag, "but if not, I suppose we can run back and grab our things before first class."

"Yeah," I agree, sitting back as we wait on Millicent coming out of the bathroom and Pansy packing her own bag.

"Daphne seems nice," Tracy points out, gaze on the door, I laugh in agreement as Millicent comes out, she smiles widely at seeing Pansy, Tracy and I waiting on her.

"Sorry for taking so long," she quickly says, speeding up on her way to find her bag for today. "What are we packing?"

"Potions. Apparently Louise is some kind of seer." Pansy informs her.

"I'm really not," I laugh, "it's just a feeling." _That I got from reading the books like twenty years from now, heck I shouldn't even exist! I wasn't even conceived till 1995!_

"Well, if you're wrong, we know who to blame." Millicent decides, pulling things from her suitcase and chucking them into her bag.

Together, we head out of the dorm, up the two flights of stairs and out to the Common Room where the boys and Daphne are standing with GLouise, waiting on us.

"Hey!" I greet, "thanks for waiting."

"Thanks for joining us," GLouise says, an eyebrow raised, I shrug sheepishly. "Professor Snape will be handing out your timetables at breakfast today, at seven thirty, this will give you the chance to come back and get what you need for the day after breakfast.

"Breakfast begins at six thirty in the morning, and ends at ten o'clock. First class begins at nine, for an hour. You have half an hour for a break, or to get to your next class, which starts at half past ten. Lunch is eleven thirty to twelve thirty.

"Class three begins at twelve thirty until one thirty and the final class of the day is two until three. You are expected to be at each class in time, and prepared. Tardiness generally involves loss of house points and repeat offenders receive detentions, same goes with homework.

"The classes are labelled with the floor they are on, say 03W14 would be on the third floor, to the West, classroom number fourteen. But seeing as the third floor corridor is off limits, you should not be found there.

"Keep track of the amount of flights you have gone up, and you should find your way around easy enough. If you do get lost, do not hesitate to ask a portrait or a fellow Slytherin for help.

"Now, if you follow me, I'll take you to the Great Hall for breakfast."

GLouise then proceeds to walk straight through the wall we came in last night. The boys follow, with Daphne straight behind. Shrugging, Tracy and I head through next.

I keep my eyes open, shuddering at the strange pressure I feel as the world becomes dark and muggy before I push through the other side, the rest of the Slytherins have already started walking so Tracy and I rush forward, Pansy and Millicent on our heels.

Reaching the end of the hall, we turn to the right and up the flight of steps. From a corridor half way up, the Hufflepuff's appear in a large group. They catch sight of us and stop, allowing us to go forward first. I wait behind, shaking my head at Tracy as she turns to me.

"Hannah and Megan are with them," I remind her, "I want to see how they are doing so far." With a shrug, Tracy keeps going forward, the Hufflepuff's head up soon after, I spot Hannah and Megan talking to each other at the back and rush forward with a grin, enveloping them in a hug.

"Oh my word, how are you?" Hannah immediately asks when we pull away and begin walking together, "how was everyone with you? Are you okay?"

I laugh at her immediate concern.

"I'm fine. I kind of implied I could be anything. Said all our parents died in an explosion and we grew up together." Megan nods, both of them looking relieved. "What have you told the other puffs?" I ask.

"Nothing yet, we were doing trust exercises last night, talking about the type of person we are and what subjects we are looking forward too." Megan answers me, I relax.

"Good, that way we can get you two to stick to the story." We arrive at the hall just then, "meet here at lunch." I decide, Hannah and Megan nod as we split off, Megan and Hannah going with the rest of the Puffs to the table to far right. I head to the far left to where Tracy has saved me a seat. I smile my thanks as I take a seat, eyeing the options available to me.

 _Pancakes!_

I immediately lunge for the best breakfast food ever, a pot of sugar right next to them gets snatched as well.

I quickly slather the goodness in sugary fatness and dig in.

Whilst eating, Professor Snape heads down the table, handing out sheets of paper.

Getting my own, I see it is my timetable, with, as I had previously predicted, Double Potions first thing on a Friday morning.

"You were right." Pansy states, looking from me to the timetable in wonder.

Finishing off my delicious meal with a nice cup of fresh orange juice, I look up to see Adam, Katherine and Gregor have arrived and are sitting together - well, Adam and Gregor are sitting on either side of Katherine, completely ignoring each other.

"Well, I had a one in six chance," I shrug, "I'm going to see how my friends are doing." I then inform them, getting up and headed to the back of the Hall, towards the doors.

I pass the Gryffindor table and head down the Ravenclaw table, walking between Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. As I had hoped, I only get a few curious stares.

"Hey, guys," I grin as I reach Gregor, Adam and Katherine.

"Louise," Gregor smiles a greeting.

"Hi, Louise, how are you?" Katherine asks, smiling brightly and making space for me between her and Gregor.

"I'm okay," I answer, "Slytherin isn't as bad as I had thought it was going to be."

"Thought so," Adam buts in, smirking, "you're certainly the type."

"Well at least I'm not a Ravenclaw." I pout, looking apologetically at the glares I receive for the comment.

"There's nothing wrong with Ravenclaw," Gregor immediately defends himself, "we know we need to pass our tests to get anywhere."

"We value keeping each other safe over having the best marks." I am quick to inform them.

"Anyway-" Katherine cuts in, "we were discussing home, and how we miss it." Judging by the wide eyed pointed look I'm receiving from her, I quickly catch on.

"I know, I wish we knew if our parents came here." I say sadly, avoiding eye contact. Opposite me, I notice the interest the other 'Claws are suddenly showing. Gregor, Adam and Katherine quickly catch on to my gist, that I have already come up with a cover and we all need to follow it.

Katherine smiles sadly, looking down at me, "the fact we're all in different houses though, one of us are bound to be in the same as them."

"Yeah," I agree, "if there hadn't been that huge ass explosion, we'd actually know though."

"There's no way to find out, is there?" Gregor adds, trying to cover the full story. I look up at him, rolling my eyes.

"Well duh!" I state, "We don't even know they're last names, there is no way of knowing who they were."

"Or who they were friends with." Katherine quickly adds, I understand the question, why don't we live with someone who knew them.

"Well, dad did just pick us up from an orphanage."

Gregor raises his eyebrows, I get the look - _you're positive D is a male?_ I smile an affirmative.

"Oh!" I add in as an afterthought, starting to get up, "Megan and Hannah are meeting me at the doors at lunch time, you lot coming too?"

They agree readily and I head off, towards the most dangerous territory I am to face.

Gryffindor table.

Taking a deep breathe, I eye the table as I walk back up the hall, near the top, I catch sight of Steph's bright ginger hair sitting next to a happily chatting Hermione.

Sighing in relief at her being near the top of the hall, I nervously make my way over, choosing the Slytherin Gryffindor side to make my way down.

"Hi Steph," I smile as I reach her, stopping behind.

Steph turns with a bright smile and jumps up, pulling me into a hug.

"Louise!" She exclaims happily, "how are you?" She adds, eyeing the Slytherin table behind me. I can already feel the eyes on me. Words from last night's long speech circling around my head. _'But that doesn't mean we cozy up with Gryffindor's,'_

"I'm good," I answer, feeling myself tense at all the eyes I can feel on me. "How are you? And is that Hermione from the train?"

"I'm great. They have tea!" Steph exclaims with a grin. "And yup, that's Hermione, she has some freaky memory skills, we're not going to get lost with her about!" I laugh as Hermione turns bright red at the compliment.

"What is _she_ doing here?" A rude, squeaky male voice blurts out.

I turn to see Ronald Weasely glaring at me from under a mop of untidy ginger hair. Next to him, Harry is looking resolutely down at his food.

"I'm chatting with my sister, is that alright?" I ask, eyebrow raised as I stare down the ignorant eleven year old.

"You're a Slytherin." He states.

"Well done, apparently you can see!" I exclaim sarcastically, causing Steph to laugh.

"You're not supposed to be talking to Gryffindor's." Ron informs me. I cross my arms over my chest, my eyes narrowing dangerously.

"Oh, I'm sorry," I state, chest starting to warm as the familiar tingles ad my infamous anger begins to rear its head. "I didn't realize being in green meant I couldn't talk to my sister anymore."

"Well now you know," Ron blinks back, still glaring at me, "so get back to the other snakes."

"No."

Next to Ron, Harry elbows him, looking up and shaking his head. Ron ignores the mini celebrity.

"Evil people shouldn't talk to good folk like us."

I breathe in.

I breathe out.

I begin to see red.

My hands start to shake.

 _ **"Evil!?"**_ My voice is deadly calm my chest burns and boils, ready to spill out. "What gives you the right to decide who is evil and good?"

"You're in Slytherin. All Slytherins are evil."

"Are you saying Merlin was evil?"

"What's Merlin got to do with anything?" Ron asks, his head tilting slightly in confusion.

"Do you know what house Merlin was in, Ronald Weasely?" I ask calmly.

"Yeah, Gryffindor." He puffs his chest out proudly.

Around us, the hall is almost silent. I take advantage and turn to the head table.

"Professor McGonagall?" I call out, she looks over to me, frowning slightly and stopping her conversation with Dumbledore. This causes everyone in the hall to turn to us.

"Yes?" She asks, voice clipped in confusion, she clearly hadn't been paying attention to her house.

"What house was Merlin in?" I ask her, making sure my voice is loud and clear so everyone can hear. I can see Ron turning bright red.

"He was in Slytherin I believe." The Scottish Professor answers me.

"Does anyone dispute that?" I ask the hall at large.

The hall is silent.

"No? Then by saying all Slytherins are evil, Ronald Weasely, you are saying the great Merlin himself was evil."

At being directly called upon, Ron's face turns a brighter shade of red.

"You-know-who was in Slytherin." He tells me.

"No," I answer, a lot of the hall frowns, opening their mouths to disagree, "I don't know who." I quickly finish.

"You know-" Ron tries, but I shake my head blankly. "The Dark Lord."

"You're saying a young boy, by the name Dark Lord, came to Hogwarts?" I ask skeptically.

"He wasn't called that back then!" Ron quickly disputes.

"Well what was he called?" I ask. My eyes flicker up to Dumbledore who is watching Ron and I with a curiosity keen to newborn babies. "Doesn't anyone know who he was?" I ask the hall, no one answers. I turn to the teachers.

"Surely one of you would have been here when he was." I state, hiding behind a confused frown. Inside, however, I'm jumping in glee. I've trapped them in a corner. Everyone will find out Voldemort was a half-blood. Should stop some of the Death Eater wannabe's from continuing on that path.

"That is confidential information, Miss Nelson," Dumbledore calls from his position, I narrow my eyes at him.

"So this guy, who killed hundreds of people, started a _war_ is allowed to maintain confidentiality?" I ask incredulously, "I think he lost that right when he decided to start killing people."

"Some information can't be given out freely," Dumbledore frowns, I glare back.

"Well lucky for you, I know exactly who he was."

"And how would you know that?" I feel a slight prodding in my head, like someone had pushed a cloth over my scalp, I glare up at Dumbledore with renewed vigor, gritting my teeth at the invasion. "Find what you were looking for?" I ask once the prodding stops a couple seconds after it started.

Many of the students around me look confused, some of the older ones look outraged.

"I think I shall see you in my office, now, please." Dumbledore decides, leaving no room for argument as he gets up and out of his chair, walking around the table and down the steps, heading towards me.

"Why?" I ask defiantly, staring the old geezer down.

"I think there are a few things we need to discuss in private." He says as he reaches and walks past me, I feel a sudden, deep urge to follow the headmaster and turn to do so, stepping out from the great hall.

But as I exit, I quickly turn back and smirk. "Tom Marvalo Riddle, look him up."

After leaving that pleasant bombshell, I turn and start walking after Albus Dumbledore again, smirking at my victory.

We walk in silence up four flights of stairs. Then through countless corridors until we come across a large, stone eagle carving in the wall.

"Jelly tots." Dumbledore says, with a loud, scraping groan, the eagle moves back into the wall, revealing a moving, spiral stare case heading upwards.

I take the step, four after the Headmaster, and wait awkwardly as we are taken up to a small hallway with a brass door.

Dumbledore walks in, leaving the door open for me to follow after. I close the door behind me.

Turning around, I see Dumbledore has already taken a seat behind his desk and is gesturing for me to take one of the wooden ones in front of him. I do so.

"Who are you?" He immediately asks, I raise an eyebrow at the bluntness.

"Louise Nelson." I tell him, "but you know that. You called me by my name in the hall."

"When are you from?" He asks, leaning forward in his chair and watching me closely. I gulp, admittedly a bit intimidated.

"What do you mean?" I ask, keeping my voice casual as I begin to sweat.

"You know things no eleven year old should." He informs me.

"Well yeah," I roll my eyes, "I am nineteen a years old."

 _Oh my shit_ _ **did I just say that out loud!?**_

Judging by Dumbledore's glare, I can safely assume I did.

"When are you from?" He repeats his previous question.

"Twenty fifteen." I answer honestly.

"How and why?"

"I don't know." I answer with a shrug. Dumbledore's glare deepens.

"I will force the answer out of you if I must. Or shall I get the Ministry of Magic involved?" He asks. My breathe catches at his deathly tone.

"I honestly don't know how I came here!" I squeak out, "magic doesn't even exist where I come from!" His death glare turns into confusion.

"What do you mean?" He asks.

"I was born in nineteen ninety nine." I quickly tell him, "and grew up with the Harry Potter stories being fairytales!" _Not_ exactly _fairytales, but close enough._

"You do realize time travel is strictly forbidden?" He replies, a sharp edge to his tone.

"Didn't I _just_ tell you that magic doesn't exist where I come from?" I ask, exasperated, "I went to bed like two days ago, it was the middle of April. I wake up and I'm on a train like twenty years in the past on a train that was part of a book series!"

"Harry Potter books?" Dumbledore asks, looking perplexed as he leans back, looking at me with careful eyes.

"Yeah. J. K. Rowling wrote seven books on Harry and Hogwarts and everything here. They're famous." I tell him.

"All right. But how are you here?" He asks, deciding not to get into the problem of the books, something I am highly relieved for.

"I don't know. I went to bed the other night and woke up on the train. And there was some letter from someone named D in my trunk." I add him.

"May I see this letter?" Dumbledore asks. I reach into my bag and pass him it, thankful I had decided to chuck it in my bag this morning.

"Well well what have we here?" Dumbledore asks after reading it over.

"Uh..." I stutter quietly, looking around at the Portraits in a vague hope for some help.

"How are you meant to be helping the future?" He asks.

"I'm sorry, I can't say." I tell him, squirming under his gaze.

"If you can't tell anyone, how are you meant to change things?" He asks.

"I can tell people." I say defiantly, reaching forward to snatch the letter back. Dumbledore sits back, waiting. "I just choose not to tell you."

I immediately regret saying that out loud.

The room suddenly chills, behind me, I can hear the portraits murmuring amongst themselves. But I focus on Dumbledore.

His normally sparkling blue eyes are sharp, blue pinpricks, ready to burn me alive.

"And why," he starts slowly, "wouldn't you inform me?"

"Well, for starters, you're intimidating. You have too many titles and too much power for one guy and you're a manipulative bastard whom I don't trust or like."

I say it all so fast, I'm surprised he understands me. Deciding I've risked my life enough for one day, I stand up and get ready to leave the room, charging to the door to find it has sealed shut.

Gulping, I turn around slowly to face the enraged Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Order of Merlin, First Class; Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, and Grand Sorcerer.

 _Oops?_


	4. Chapter 4 - Angering People

**Changing from Within**

 _Chapter Four_

Angering People

Headmaster Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore slowly got up out of his chair, face red fury at my dismissal.

"Before you decide to kill me," I quickly squeak out, my back firmly against the door, "you did use some sort of compulsion charm to get me up here witch I'm pretty sure is illegal. Plus you legilimized me, and I'm underage so that was also illegal. Therefore I do have reason not to trust you."

"I did no such thing." Albus refutes, standing tall and proud, I regain a tiny sense of feeling - enough to feel a tendril of anger returning.

"You do bloody so!" I shout back, "I felt you're probing and I mentioned it, half the hall recognized _instantly_ what I meant, and the compulsion I felt as soon as you walked past me, could only have been some spell. I don't normally follow creepy old men away from witnesses."

"Alright," Dumbledore placates, hands up in a surrendering gesture, one I don't believe for a second. Albus is a powerful wizard. Not one that's going to surrender to my meagre temper tantrums. "Perhaps we started this out wrong." I snort my agreement. "How about you begin from the start?"

"That start of what?" I ask, brows raised, "your abuse if Harry? Your neglect in caring effectively for two hundred plus students?"

"Start from your beginning. You say magic doesn't exist when you're from?" Dumbledore's tone settles down, taking on his famous grandfatherly persona.

"Magic is a thing of stories and fantasy." I inform him.

"Well how do you know what will happen? How do you know what to change if all of this is a tale?" I can tell he doesn't believe me, he's too relaxed, his eyes too sparkly.

"If it was just a tale, how would I know about Arianna?" I ask, smirking in satisfaction as he falls back into his seat, wrinkly old face almost smoothed out with how agape his mouth is. "How sweet was bullied by some neighbors for being freaky, how your father beat the boys up and went to Azkaban for it. How you were left to look after Aberforth and Arianna. How either you or Grindelwald or Aberforth cast the spell that killed Arianna."

"How dare you?" A portrait on the wall, one of a strict looking little witch shrieks at me, wagging her finger disapprovingly, "How dare you talk to your elders in such a way?"

"You really going to go there?" I ask it, "Respect is earned." I inform it, finding the courage to step away from the safety of the door.

"Respect is given to whom should have it young lady." She argues, folding her arms. For a painting, I have to admit she actually looks quite intimidating.

"And why should be respect him?" I point to the old man, his mouth has shut, thankfully, but he's still sitting blankly, stunned.

 _Oh shit! Did I_ _ **break**_ _Dumbledore?_

"He is your Headmaster," she says it in a tone of finality, like I should just accept that.

"And?" I prompt, guests ring for her to go on.

"And he is your headmaster, your senior and superior, you ungrateful girl," she shrieks, standing up from her red cushioned seat and stepping forward. I laugh at her attempt to get at me, mockingly taking a step back.

"He is a manipulative old coot who has, and will knowingly allow a young boy to live in a home where he is underfed, neglected and abused daily."

The lady blinks, stepping back, looking stunned.

"Albus?" She asks, turning to the comatose old man, who is slowly returning to us, "is this true, have you knowingly allowed a boy to be abused?" I decide to add fuel to the fire.

"You know what boy it is?" I ask, another portrait, one in pretty sure is Phineus Black, asks me who, snarling darkly, I willingly answer.

"Harry Hames Potter. Son of James and Lilly Potter, Godson of Sirius Black and Alice Longbottom, Savior of the wizarding world."

The portraits immediately turn to Albus, equal fury in their eyes at the injustice of Harry's treatment. They all doubtlessly would have known James Potter, troublemaker extraordinaire.

I take the opportunity to slip out, the door thankfully opening due to Albus' distraction. Running down the spiral staircase, I get out to the hall and head right, to the large flight of stairs down.

Taking my wand from my pocket, "tempus," the most useful spell, in my opinion, shows me the time - 08:05.

Plenty time to get lost, I shrug as I head down the stairs, getting off directly in front of the Great Hall where I walk in and head silently back over to the Slytherin table, my seat still available next to Tracy.

"Who's Tom Marvalo Riddle?" She asks as soon as I take a seat, I notice the conversations around me had stopped. Thankfully, the other houses hadn't noticed my arrival.

"He's Lord Voldemort." I inform the masses, many of the students flinch, an older student hisses that I shouldn't call him that. "Your right," I agree, "I should just call him Tom."

"No, you shouldn't." The older student, a good looking second year - _ew! Louise, what the heck! He's seven years younger than you! Oh my god! Not like_ that _I mean he's a decent looking guy, he can't help his looks._

"Then what should I call him?" I ask, shuddering as I throw my thoughts to the back of my mind.

"The Dark Lord, his rightful title." Draco tells me.

"He's no Lord of mine." I gag, shuddering at the thought, "and I certainly am not going to follow someone who thinks Crucio is a way of saying hello."

"The Dark Lord-" Draco begins, puffing his chest out, oddly reminiscent of Ron earlier on.

"Is a half-blood." I finish for him, judging by his constipated look, I don't think that's what he was planning on saying. I shrug, _oh well._

"He was a Pureblood," Draco immediately argues, "the rightful heir of Slytherin!"

"I thought we went over this last night," I complain, I turn to Tracy, "didn't we go over this last night? Blood can't be pure, you'd be dead!" Mutely, Tracy nods, looking wide eyed at having been called into the argument - if you can call it that.

"He was-" Draco's face is turning an interesting red, that does not go with his platinum locks. Rolling my eyes, I hold my hand up in a shushing gesture and stand up.

"Listen up!" I shout, meaning for Slytherins to pay attention, but I didn't factor that this is halfway through breakfast and there are three other full tables, not to mention the staff table.

 _Oh god, not again,_ I inwardly groan, but having all the attention on me, I have no choice but to continue.

"What, in the name of Rassilon, is a Pureblood, or a Mudblood?" Everyone stares blankly at me. "No one?" I ask, an older Ravenclaw, whom I don't recognize, answers me.

"The term 'pure-blood' refers to a family or individual without Muggle blood. The concept is generally associated with Salazar Slytherin, one of the four founders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, whose aversion to teaching anybody of Muggle parentage eventually led to a breach with his three fellow founders, and his resignation from the school."

"Did you just quote an entire book to me?" I ask, not shaving expected that long an answer. The Ravenclaw shrugs, his pale cheeks redeeming slightly. "All right," I drag out, "what's a mudblood?"

"Mudblood is a highly derogatory term for a Muggle-born wizard or witch; that is, individuals with no wizarding relatives." He answers, a much better answer.

"Oh!" I say, making sure I sound shocked, "so it's _not_ to do with people having mud in their veins?"

"What?" Several people sound extremely confused, I roll my eyes at their inability to link the two things together.

"Well, why?" I ask.

"Why what?" The same Ravenclaw, apparently the only person brave enough to answer me in front of the entire hall.

"Why are people being picked on for who their parents are? You can't help being the sperm that won out against the rest, and you certainly have no choice on who your sperm is coming from."

At the completely blank looks I'm receiving from the majority of the school - minus those whom I'm betting are muggle born - I shake my head in disappointment and turn to the teachers. Professor Snape is looking livid. Professor McGonagall looks contemplative, Professor Flitwick is nodding his head, apparently agreeing with me. Professor Sprout is smiling approvingly.

"Is there ANY sex-ed given in this school?" I ask, raising my eyes to look at the awesome ceiling in exasperation.

In a complete loss of control, that I would expect from a toddler, not a nineteen year old woman in an eleven year old body, I screech, stamp my foot, and storm out of the hall, all the while mumbling under my breathe.

"Stupid, prehistoric people with no idea how they're own body works! Needs a serious revamp in the education system, corrupt, idiotic teachers that shouldn't be anywhere near children, if the muggle government knew about this they'd shut the place down in a heartbeat!"

"Hey! Louise!" I cut my mumbling off to find Steph running to catch up, "you're going the wrong way." She informs me, I frown, from half way up the stairs before realizing that I'm supposed to be going to Potions.

Groaning, I stomp back down the stairs, joining Steph as we start to head down to the Dungeons.

"How's Slytherin?" She asks once we breach the stairs heading to the chilly basement of the humungous castle.

"It's actually alright," I answer her, getting a surprised "oh," from her. "Yup, we had a huge twenty minute introduction speech before being sent to our beds, which we've been given permission to ward!"

"Sweet," Steph answers, turning to the right, towards my common room. "We didn't get anything like that. Just got told where our bedrooms are."

"Haha," I smirk, before laughing outright at her offended look, "We're loved more." I sing song, grinning as she reaches over to smack me, to which I jump out of the way.

Laughing, we continue down the corridor, searching for room 00E14. Taking the advice from last night, I inform Steph of GLouise's tip.

"That makes a lot more sense, I have to admit." Steph decides as we pass classroom ten.

"You do realize we're like super early?" I confirm as we reach the door.

Steph shrugs and steps forward, trying the handle which rattles uselessly.

"What's the Slytherin dorm like?" She asks as we lean back against the wall, preparing for the long wait.

"It's actually kind of cool," I admit, to which I receive a stunned look. "It is!" I defend, "we're under the lake and you should see the view!" I trail off, realizing I hadn't actually spent much attention to the view last night, for all I know, the water could be horribly muggy and impossible to see through.

But Steph doesn't need to know that.

"And we literally fall asleep to the sound of the waves slapping against the window, it's like falling asleep in a boat!" I finish, smiling in pleasure at my good fortune.

"No loud breathers?"

"I don't know, I either fell asleep too fast last night, or the curtains might be warded." I shrug, "well at least I know the silencing charms."

"Point." Steph concedes."

"What's Gryffindor like?" I ask after a small lapse in talk.

"Cozy." Steph informs me vaguely, I narrow my eyes in annoyance.

"After all I told you, all I get is 'cozy'?"

"Well you've seen Gryffindor from the movies, it's just like that."

"Oh." I pout, disappointed.

"What we're the Slytherins like last night?" Steph quickly, and effectively, changes the subject.

"You heard me this morning," I tell her with a smirk, "I gave them a brief sex-Ed lesson."

To my horror, Steph falls down, sliding into the floor, clutching her chest laughing.

"Uh, thanks for the support?" I stay where I am, as Steph's eyes water from her laughing for. "Oh come on!" I exclaim as I hear footsteps from the other side of the hall, "it's not that bloody funny!"

Thankfully, Steph sobers up. Whether it's due to my exasperation or the approaching people, I may never know. But she stands back up, panting and wiping her eyes. As the first footsteps come around the corridor, I realize Steph doesn't yet know our story.

"Steph, listen." I order, she turns to me, deadly serious as the form of Hermione Granger appears heading towards us. "Our parents died in an explosion when we were babies, we were put in an orphanage where our 'dad'" I lift my fingers to the air quote, "recognized our magic and adopted us, he's a squib."

"An orphanage?" Steph whispers, eyebrows raised as Hermione gets within hearing distance.

"Hey," I defend myself with a shrug, "wizards are stupid. They'll buy it."

"Hi, Hermione, is it?" I ask as the young girl nears us, potion text book clutched to her chest, her head down.

"Yes, you're Louise from the train, aren't you?" She asks, looking up hopefully.

"The one and only." I beam back, my self-awesome tirade is cut short by a quiet click from the door next to me.

Slowly reaching over, I cup my hand over the cold, silver handle and turn, it freely moves with my hand. Pushing forward, the door opens, revealing a stuffy, over empowering stench in its wake.

Nervously, I step forward, into the stuffiness to find an empty classroom.

"Ominous." I inform the two girl behind me as we all enter and study our first classroom of our Hogwarts career.

There are three rows of tasks, each with two tables sat next to each other, a total of thirty seats. Towards the front of the classroom is a raised platform with a large teacher's desk with a high backed, black leather seat glaring down.

"Teachers a bit full of himself, isn't he?" I ask as I choose a table nearest the door, the escape. Steph seats next to me whilst Hermione takes the table in front, I catch her gazing longingly at the tables up front, closest to the evil looking chair.

"Hermione," I start, she turns to me, her cauldron half way out of her bag, "you don't want to sit next to a teacher like that, trust me." Instead of fighting me about it, like I had expected from the know-it-all eleven year old, she glances over at Steph and nods her agreement, before continuing to remove her things from her bag.

Before I am able to ask Steph what the look was about, the rest of the class begins to filter in, Draco and the two idiots - but idiots with potential apparently - at the front, scoffing at me for sitting with Gryffindor's before heading over to take the far seats, farthest from the door and closest to the raised platform.

"Teachers pet." I sing under my breath, glaring at the fools, next to me Steph snickers. The rest of the class slowly trickles in as Steph and I set up our work bench.

Snape comes billowing in the classroom, shutting the door behind him just as I turn to start conversing with Steph.

"Settle down," he smirks, walking to the front of the class and glaring at us all. That is an amazing feat that, I think, looking in wonder at Snape's' odd facial expression, to both smirk and glare at the same time.

I decide to try.

The result; Steph shoving her wrist down her throat to stop giggling. I mock weep at her, mouthing that I shall never be as boss as Severus Snape. A snort escapes past her wrist causing Mr. Bossman to turn our way. He freezes for a second, whether it's due to seeing Steph in her odd position, or a Slytherin sitting among Gryffindor's, I don't know, before smirking once more.

"I fear if eating your hand is more important than learning about potions Miss Brown, then I shall have to remove you from my sight."

Steph immediately sobers and removes her hand.

"Sorry sir, it won't happen again." She says meekly, glaring at me as she does.

"Indeed it shall not." He says, but we all hear the warning in his voice. Snape continues into the registrar, slowly going over the names. When he reaches Harry's, as he does in the book and films, he sneers and glares up at him, "ah, yes, Harry Potter. Our new - _celebrity_."

Across from us, Draco and his two goons-with-potential snigger at the lame-ass cruelty. Snape finishes the register without further incident and looks up at the class, pausing slightly at the sight of my next to Steph.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact are of potion-making," he begins, his voice quiet, but we are perfectly able to hear him in the silent classroom. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its simmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses ... I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death - if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."

I raise an eyebrow at Steph and make a heart with my hands, smirking at Snape.

"Potter," I jump at the sudden change in volume, "what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" _I remember that!_ I slowly raise my hand, not quite as eager as Hermione, but still up there.

"I don't know, sir," Harry answers, face blank. Snape sneers in pleasure, I feel the familiar heat in my chest at the injustice of how he treats his apparent 'loves' only son.

"Tut, tut - fame clearly isn't everything." He ignores Hermione and my hands, concentrating on Harry. I bite my lip, hard enough to draw blood in an attempt to keep my retort back.

Its all well and good reading and watching _characters_ being treated like this. But when it's real life people standing not three meters in front of me, I can't help the need to stand up and defend the abused eleven year old boy.

"Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?" Hermione stays still, something o distinctly remember didn't happen in the movies. I glance over at Steph as I keep my hand in the air, the bezoar is the thing from a goat that saves Ron from being poisoned in a couple years.

"I don't know, sir."

"Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming. Eh, Potter?" I feel myself bristling and tensing as Harry sits up straighter, defiance entering his previously meek frame.

"What is the difference, Potter, between monks wood and wolfs name?" I pull my hand down, I'm pretty sure the answer has something to do with monks wood, but I'm not sure enough to answer.

"I don't know," Harry repeats, I can almost hear the glare in his tone, "I think Hermione does, though, why don't you try her?" I smirk at his defiance as Snape scowls down at him.

"For your information, Potter, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for Monkwood and Wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite." Snape stops and peers around at us. "Well?" He snaps, "Why aren't you all copying that down."

"Because you didn't tell us to." I complain out loud as I pick up my quill, Snape glares at me but doesn't comment. _Huh. Maybe being in Slytherin could be a good thing._

I attempt to figure out how to write with the stupid quill as Snape stalks around the class, sneering at everyone.

My Denny decipherable notes complete -what with smaller, unpracticed hands and a stupid unusable quill - I look back up for the rest of the lesson.

On the blackboard at the front of the class, Snape has written up the instructions for the _'boil cure'_ I quickly take it down, and then look for it in my book so I will still be able to read it when my glasses start to fog up. I find it easily in the beginning of our book.

 _Part 1_  
 _Add 6 snake fangs to the mortar._  
 _Crush into a fine powder using the pestle._  
 _Add 4 measures of the crushed fangs to your cauldron._  
 _Heat the mixture to 250 for 10 seconds._  
 _Wave your wand._  
 _Leave to brew and return in 33-45 minutes._

 _Part 2_  
 _Add 4 horned slugs to your cauldron._  
 _Take the cauldron off the fire before adding the next ingredient._  
 _Add 2 porcupine quills to your cauldron._  
 _Stir 5 times, clockwise._  
 _Wave your wand to complete the potion._

Having the instructions set up, I look to the top for the ingredients and start to pull them out. I end up with dried nettles, six snake fangs, four horned slugs ( _bleurgh)_ two porcupine quills, pungous onions (oh my god the _stench!)_ flobberworm mucus (bogies. _Really!? Bogies?)_ Ginger root (oh that smells _nice)_ and shrake spines.

I happily set to my work, fairly enjoying the monotonous following instructions and creating a thing, it's much like cooking. Next to me, Steph is getting muddled up, so I set her to cutting ingredients up properly as I deal with the stirring and adding ingredients.

Finishing the first part, Steph and I set back, I cast a tempus to keep track of how long we have to wait.

"What did you say to Hermione?" I ask Steph as we sit back, watching the chaos around us.

"I just told her she won't get many friends if she is like she is, she needs to tone down and let others earn as well."

"And how did you do that without having a lesson with her?" I ask as Hermione sets down, Lavender sitting happily next to her.

"I said I used to be the type, now I have loads of friends cause I take a step back."

"Oh," is all I can say. Noticing Seamus and Neville, in front of Harry and Ron, have finished, I wait until Snape comes around our end, sneering down at our potion. "Professor?" I ask just as he stops, he pauses, keeping his face carefully blank as he catches my eye. "What would happen if you didn't remove the Cauldron before putting the quills in? It says here you have to, but sit doesn't say why."

I keep myself carefully calm, as I grin inside, Neville, who is going to make such a mistake in around twenty minutes, is listening intently.

"The Quills will react with the heat and cause an explosion." Snape answers shortly, I genuinely smile up at him at having unexpectedly received a proper answer.

"Shouldn't there be some sort of warning, though, for those that might not have read all the lines in the instructions?" I continue, tending slightly at the risky question.

"People who cannot read should not be in this class." Snape answers shortly.

"Well did you check before setting the potentially exploding potion to a bunch of first years?" I immediately ask, Snape glares and steps away.

"You should be perfectly capable of reading by eleven years old." He answers, a glare from Steph cuts off my immediate reply.

"You've done enough," she whispers quickly, "you've saved Neville. Don't provoke him." Sighing in agreement, I settle down, fifteen minutes until we can continue.

The rest of the lesson goes smoothly, our potions turns out the right colour - a deep shade of blue giving off pink fumes. I ignore the impossibility of that, instead gloating to Steph that I am actually good at something.

We are set to write a report of the potion we just made, what we did well and what we did wrong. And then we are to write about the uses of the Boil cute potion.

Having an hour still left of class, Steph and I manage to finish our work without incident - my quill writing even begins to improve.

Snape then sends us on our way to lunch, assigning what hasn't been finished for homework.

"Whys it called homework when we won't be going home till summer?" I ask Steph as we head out, going up the stairs to the hall.

Instead of replying, Steph rolls her eyes, shaking her head at me.


	5. Chapter 5 - Finding Heaven

**Changing from Within**

 _Chapter Five_

Finding Heaven

After grabbing a quick snack, I inform Millicent, Tracy and Pansy that I am going to catch up with my friends, and head to the front of the hall, where Hannah, Megan, Katherine, Gregor, Adam and Steph are already waiting.

Stepping out of the hall, and away from the watching eyes, I pull everyone into a hug, starting with Steph and ending with Katherine.

"How are you all?" I ask rushed, stepping from my last hug, "what was your first class like? What's your house like?"

"Louise?" Adam asks, easing an eyebrow at me, I blush a deep red.

"Yes?" I ask, looking down at him, trying not to laugh at his tiny frame, his growth spurt won't come for another five years.

"Breathe." He orders. I narrow my eyes but obediently take a deep breath in and out. "How's Slytherin?" He asks.

"How are you not in Slytherin?" I pout, ignoring Megan and Hannah as they laugh at me.

"Aww," Adam mocks, "did you miss me?"

"Yes," I inform him with a straight face, "I would have liked a warm bed last night." Hannah, Steph and Megan immediately burst into laughter, Gregor rolls his eyes.

"You would have like him to Slyther-" Gregor starts, I slam my hand out, hitting him on the back of the head before he can finish the sentence.

"I would have liked to have seen what the wards against males were." I snarl back, glaring at the two immature eighteen year olds.

"And here I though you just missed my-"

"Library!" Hannah quickly cuts in. I notice Adam and Katherine looking at her strangely before my vision goes misty and I take on a dreamlike stance.

"Library?" I ask, a library filled with _real life magic books,_ "where?" I snap out of it to turn on Hannah who shrugs. Sighing in annoyance, I take my wand out of my pocket and lay it flat on my hand. "Let's hope this works." I mumble.

Picturing the library clear in my mind, I take a breath and cast the point me charm. My wand whirls in my hand for a bit before stopping and pointing to my stomach. I turn around and the wand turns with me, pointing to the stairs.

"Forward March!" I call out and we head up the flights of stairs, following my trusty wand.

It takes five whole minutes to reach the library. Leaving us with an hour and ten minutes before period three.

As soon as I enter, I take in a deep breath, the smell of old books filling my nostrils and immediately relaxing my tense shoulders. Madame Pince comes up to us, eyes narrowed.

"What do you want?" She asks, looking suspicious.

"More than seven years in this school. I will never get to read all of these books in seven years! How many books can I take out during the holidays? If I read nonstop for the whole seven years-"

"Louise. Shut up." Adam tells me. Madam Pince however is looking at me with a smile. A smile Harry never received. I feel oddly smug at that. I won the librarian over in less than a minute.

"Where would you like to start?" She asks me.

I freeze. All these books with thousands of information on magic. Information J.K never even looked at. And I have the opportunity to learn it.

I look back at my friends and make a quick but pained decision.

"Methods of wizarding communication." I state confidently whilst crying inside. _Out of all the books available, THIS is what I choose?_

"Right this way." Madame Pince proceeds to lead us to the third row of shelfs to the left where she points me to a long row of books at the bottom.

"Thank you." I say before picking up three books and handing them to Megan. The next three go to Adam and another four I take in my arms before going over to a table and finding a seat. I take a look at the first book, _"Methods of Time Communication."_ And discard it. The one underneath, _"Communication Methods via the Mind,"_ is also discarded. The next one however, _"The Creation and use of the Communication Books."_ Is opened to the first page.

"Louise?"

"What?" I snap at the voice, flicking past the introduction and warning pages.

"What are we supposed to do?"

"Sit and wait." I say.

' _The use of communication books has never been used to much extent. Many seeing it as pointless as they look to many other methods of communicating. This method, however, is useful when it comes to fast and undetected conversations."_

I flick through the rest until I come to the method.

 _"Each user of the communication books must cast the spell simultaneously on the book of choice. In order to communicate via the book to one specific person, set pages with the recipient's name. Any conversations may be stored for future use."_

Finding the spell, I grin and look up at my friends.

"Find a plain book you can write in and lay it in front if you." I inform them as I dig into my bag, finding a plain, line papered dark blue leather bound book. Perfect. Once all of us have a book out, I point my wand at my book. They copy me.

"When I say so, place your wand on the first page of the book and say _communicare et inter mentibus_." Everyone nods and so I place the top of my wand on the first page of my book.

"Now."

Six voices repeat the spell at the same time as me as seven books all glow a light blue before the colour dies.

We then all get our quills and, as per my instructions, write EVERYONE on the first page then everyone's names on separate pages.

Finishing Adam Seaton on the final page, I look back up and grin.

"Do these actually work?" Gregor asks, sounding skeptical.

"They should," I reply, turning back to the first page and writing 'Hello.'

Nothing happens.

"Well?" Hannah raises an eyebrow, my chest heats up, slowly creeping up to my face as I frown and turn back to the book to find I missed part if the spell.

"Say _simul in aeternum_ on the last page." I tell the others. We do so and our bodies glow the same blue as the books did before. With the spell being complete, Gregor writes instead. My book shudders slightly and a message appears on my first page.

 **GF: No cheating in class with these.**

We could now talk to each other in classes. I grin again.

"I did my good deed, can I go look for other books now?" I ask, eyes flicking back to the many shelfs filled with knowledge.

"Shouldn't we discuss what we are going to be doing before we start looking at the books?" Gregor, ever the voice of reason, points out. I pout in disappointed to but have to agree to the logic.

No one speaks.

"Well?" I ask.

"You're the oldest." Megan informs me.

"So?" I ask.

"So you generally make the decisions." Hannah adds.

"What if I don't want to?" I retort half-heartedly.

"You're the Slytherin." Adam smirks, leaning back in his chair, arms folded against his chest.

"So?"

"So you're the one that plans things."

Sighing in defeat, I cast my gaze around the library, the others stay silent, knowing I am thinking things through. Deciding to let them in, I speak my thoughts out loud.

"Well, first we have to do something about Sirius. And we can't let Fudge anywhere near the case because he will try and cover it up. We know where the rat is - Steph can grab him. We will need to find a way to send him straight to the Aurors, preferably Amelia Bones, I trust her. Hannah,"

Hannah looks at me, eyes wide at being called out.

"Susan Bones is in your dorm, right?" She nods mutely. "Right, so we can send an anonymous note to Susan asking how we can contact her Aunt. Then we need to deal with Dumbledore and get Harry away from the Dursley's. We also have to deal with Voldemort - namely Quirrelmort. He can't die, because of the Horcruxes. And we can't get the Horcruxes.

"We might be able to get Neville to get the cup from Bellatrix's vault-"

"Neville?" Gregor asks, I smirk.

"Yes, he lost his parents because of her. Therefor he will be due a form of compensation. We can encourage him to get something from her vault."

"Things like that don't actually happen, Louise." Hannah informs me.

"You forget," I decline, "the wizarding world is still set in the Middle Ages. Where that IS allowed. And I'm sure his Gran, who is on the Wizengamot, will push to have it happen when she catches wind of it. We also have to try and get Harry his parents will, that will help get him away from the Dursley's without Dumbledore's help."

"I think," Megan interrupts my flow, "if Harrys parents had left him a will, he would have received it by now."

"So you're saying they didn't write one?" I ask, to which she nods. "famously rich James Potter, the second last to the house of Potter, and his muggle born wife, Lily Potter,, who knew they were being hunted by Voldemort, didn't leave their only son a will?"

"Well... if you put it that way." Katherine concedes, I smirk in victory.

"Anyways, we will need to make a list of all that happens in the books so we don't forget anything important." With everyone's agreement, I take out a piece of parchment and a quill, ready to write notes down.

 **Canon Happenings**

First Year – Philosophers Stone

• _Quirrel is Voldemort_

• _The stone is under the dogs_

• _A troll is released at Halloween_

• _Harry makes Quidditch_

• _Hagrid gets a dragon_

Second Year – Chamber of Secrets

• _Ginny gets the diary_

• _The basilisk petrifies people_

• _Gilderoy_

• _Dobby_

• _The Chamber_

• _Ginny is taken_

• _Malfoy is suspected – Polyjuice_

Third Year – Prisoner of Azkaban

• _Sirius escapes_

• _Pettigrew gets freed_

• _Trelawney makes her second prophecy_

• _Lupin_

• _Marauders Map_

• _Time turner_

• _Hagrid is teacher – Malfoy hurt his arm – Buckbeak_

• _Buckbeaks trial_

• _Crookshanks_

Fourth Year – Goblet of Fire

• _School Tournament_

• _Harry is chosen_

• _Ron is stupid – hurts harry AND Hermione_

• _Hermione 'dates' Krum_

• _Caretaker Muggle is killed_

• _Voldemort returns_

• _Barty junior impersonates Moody_

• _Barty Senior is killed – a bone in the forest_

• _Dragons first task_

• _Lake second task_

• _Maze third task_

• _Reeta is a bug animagus_

Fifth Year – Order of the Phoenix

• _UMBITCH_

• _Voldemort is back_

• _Blood quill_

• _Sirius dies_

• _DA_

• _Chang's friend betrays – veritaserum_

• _Dumbledore leaves_

• _Umbitch headmistress_

• _Ministry raid_

• _School Degrees_

• _Tries to sack Trelawney_

• _Fake vision in History exam_

• _Weasely twins joke shop_

Sixth year – Half-Blood Prince

• _Slughorn_

• _Snape is defense teacher_

• _Slug club_

• _Dumbledore gives Harry memories_

• _Voldemort is Tom Riddle_

• _Learn about Horcruxes_

• _Malfoy uses ROR with vanishing cabinet_

• _Death Eaters attack – DA on alert_

• _Dumbledore dies_

• _Hogwarts is taken_

Seventh year - Deathly Hallows

• _Bill and Fluer's wedding_

• _Snape headmaster_

• _Carrow siblings as teachers_

• _Harry, Ron and Hermione go on hunt_

• _Neville turns badass_

• _Battle of Hogwarts_

• _Lupin and Tonks have Teddy_

With the list sorted out, I fold it and put it back in my bag, ready for use in the future. I ready to ask about what changes we will be making, but am interrupted by Madame Pince.

"I think you should all have classes now?" Madam Pince says, turning a corner and waving her wand, causing all the library books to float back to their original spot, I whimper at having the books taken from me.

"Huh? No the bell-" the bell went. "Okay. I suppose." Hannah turns red.

"Thank you! And I'll be back." I say as my friends drag me out of the room.

"What do you all have? We have potions." Gregor tells us.

"Potions." Megan and Hannah say simultaneously.

"Transfiguration." Steph answers for herself.

"Defense against the Dark Arts," I finish, taking my wand back out.

"Point me," I say to my wand, leading me up and to the right. Gregor copies me. His leading him downstairs.

"See ya's" He calls back, Adam, Katherine, Hannah and Megan follow behind, waving goodbye to Steph and I.

Steph follows me along the corridor but is pointed right whilst I am pointed up the stairs, we separate ways with final goodbyes.

I make my way to Quirrel's room alone, dreading my first full class with only the Slytherins. I may have mollified the Pureblood Supremists with my story yesterday, and Tracy, Millicent and Pansy seem to like me - but I don't know any of them. I'm essentially walking blind into a classroom with the Dark Lord, a class full of Dark Lord Supporters.

 _What have I gotten myself into?_

Being the first to class, I get first pick of where to sit. I choose the middle, nearest the wall, under the window. The fall may hurt - but it's a possible way out if the worst come to happen. Not knowing how long I have until the others arrive, I take out my leather bound book and open it up, to see if it will work at a distance.

 _ **Testing. Testing**_

To my joy, more writing appears in the book, alongside a name, in his own handwriting.

Adam: _shut up and pay attention!_

Megan: _how about the three of you pay attention?_

Hannah: M _egan, this is Louise. She doesn't know HOW to pay attention in class._

I decide to cut in, affronted at the bold claim.

 _ **Oy! I heard ... Saw that! Offense taken!**_

Hannah: _there. You have just proven my point!_

 _ **It's Quirrel! Do you honestly expect me to pay attention!? Voldemort is attached to the back of his head! I ain't ever gonna pay attention!**_

Malfoy and the other males walk into the classroom just then, sneering slightly at me before taking up seats at the front of the classroom. Daphne walks in after him, she glances around the room and takes a seat behind me, on the back row.

Next to arrive are Pansy, Tracy and Millicent who spot me and come to sit down - blocking my easy-ish exit to the door.

"How was lunch? How are your sibli- would you rather we call them friends?" Tracy asks, smiling brightly as she takes the seat directly next to me, laying her books on her table.

"Friends is fine," I answer with an equally friendly smile, putting my book aside slightly so she can't see it writing for itself.

"Okay," She shrugs happily as Quirrelmort walks into the classroom, his eyes sweep over us all, stopping slightly longer on Malfoy.

"Welcome, class," He begins, closing the door and walking to the front of the room, acting every bit the nervous wreck he wishes us to perceive. He picks up a short parchment on his desk and starts reading out names, Millicent Bullstrode, Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle, Draco Malfoy, Theodore Nott, Pansy Parkinson, Tracy Davis, Louise Nelson and Daphne Greengrass.

After calling out our names, agonizingly slowly, he starts to talk, beginning his introduction to the lesson, in order to stay aware to the lecture, I try and copy down what he is saying.

"D-defense Against the D-dark Arts is a core class and subject t-taught at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In this class, you will learn how to magically d-defend yourselves against D-dark Creatures, the D-dark Arts, and other d-dark charms. Offensive magic is also taught in this class, such as how to d-duel, which requires the use of both offensive and d-defensive magic.

"We will be going over d-dark creatures first, namely werewolf bites and how to cure them, Gnomes and D-doxies, Snails, Imps, Bowtruckles, Ghosts, Gargoyles, Hags, Fire Crabs and Gytrashes. Today we will be starting with Gnomes."

The lecture continues, with Quirrel expertly stuttering every word beginning with a D, not as annoying as I had originally assumed it would be, thankfully, but the lesson is boring, he brings no spark or life to the way he teaches, droning on about the subject and leaving us to take notes. Getting bored and deciding I can read up on Gnomes after class, I take my Com-book back and catch up on the conversation.

Steph: _aren't you guys in potions?_

Megan: _yes..._

Steph: _then why are you writing? Shouldn't you be paying attention to your potion?_

 _ **Aren't you in Transfiguration, Steph?**_ I quickly but in, _ **what are you doing writing?**_

Steph: _I've already turned my match, so Hermione and I are supposed to be taking notes._

Gregor: _we are supposed to be taking notes. No potion making for another couple classes._ Gregor continues, I shake my head at them with a small smile, wishing desperately to be in one of their classes with them.

Adam: _this is sad._

 _ **Wait! How come we are made to make a potion first day and you guys actually take notes and learn!?**_ I ask. This is something Harry never learns, or mentions, in the books.

Hannah: _we're more special than you guys_

 _ **You wish!**_ I snort back,laughing under my breath.

Feeling eyes on me, I look up to find Voldeyhead is in fact, looking at me, a slight frown on his face.

"Any-anything you would like t-to share Miss Nelson?" he asks me. I glare at him.

"Yeah. Do you have any air freshener sir? You see I find it quite hard to breath, all this garlic is affecting my lungs quite a bit" I reply, smirking as the three girls behind me snigger.

"P-pardon?" Voldeyhead's frown turned into a look of perplexity. I decide to talk slower and louder so as he can hear me.

"THE SMELL OF GAR-LIC IS AFF-EC-TING MY LUNGS, PROFF-ES-OR"

"D-detention" He states firmly, I jerk back in surprise at the sudden authority.

"What? Why!?"

"For bad mouthing a t-teacher"

"I did not bad mouth you!?" I immediately defend, glaring in anger at him, A tiny part of my brain is telling me not to anger him, he IS part Voldemort, but as usual, I completely ignore common sense. "I was asking you to create a better learning environment." I snap at him.

"That will be two detentions Miss Nelson." I smirk as I notice the lack of stutter, I'm getting to him.

"I am not accepting any detentions unless you improve the state of the class, ever heard of a cleansing spell?"

Instead of answering, Quirrelmort goes to his desk and writes something, then comes back around and gives it to me. I reluctantly take the paper, nose wrinkling as the garlic smell increases at his closeness.

"T-take that to Professor McGonagall, please." I notice he reintroduces the stutter but just roll my eyes and shut my book, putting it in my bag.

"And where will I find her, sir?" I ask.

"In her classroom." I blink.

"Sir, this is my first day here, how on earth am I supposed to know where her classroom is?"

"Just go!"

"All right, don't get your turban in a twist." A snark as I walk out the classroom, heading towards a nearby empty classroom and pulling my book back out.

Then a sudden grin comes to my face as I remember in the books Fred and George whack Voldemort's head with snowballs. Then I get a BRILLIANT idea.

A prank war. And not just any old prank war. A magical prank war. Against the Weasely twins.

Grinning at my brilliant idea, I settle on a chair, smirking at the thought of actually going to McGonagall.

 _ **Hey, Steph? Is Minnie busy?**_ I ask, getting a quick reply, as I had expected.

Steph: _Uh, not really, why?_

 _ **I've been sent to see her.**_

Hannah: _and why is that?_

Adam: _What did you do?_

Steph: _Why?_

 _ **I refused Detention.**_

Katherine: _And why were you getting Detention?_

 _ **I complained about the cleanliness - or lack thereof - in the classroom.**_

Gregor: _You're in Defense right now, aren't you?_

 _ **Nope, I'm currently sitting in an unused classroom.**_

Katherine: _Are you skiving?!_

 _ **No!**_ I quickly defend myself, _**I got sent to find Minnie but I don't know where her class is so I gave up.**_

Adam: _You've found all the other classes quickly enough._

 _ **Yes,**_ I concede, _**but he doesn't know that. So I'm taking the rest of the period off. I'll head to charms early, I think.**_

Steph: _I doubt McGonagall will do anything, she'll probably just take some house points off. Come down here!_

 _ **Nope. I'm on strike.**_ I declare, I'm gonna go read up on Gnomes, I may as well do something useful whilst I'm here. I decide, closing the book before waiting for any replies and taking my Defense book out, finding the right page and settling down to begin reading.

 _'A gnome, or garden gnome, is a magical creature commonly known to infest the gardens of wizarding households. The correct taxonomical name for gnomes is, purportedly, Gernumbli gardensi, or sometimes referred to as Gernumblies. They are found throughout Europe and North America. A gnome in the Muggle world is an inanimate statue that looks like a small Father Christmas.'_ For the rest of the period, I continue on like thus, losing myself in the blandness of simple learning and note taking.


	6. Chapter 6 - Charms

**Changing from Within**

 _Chapter Six_

Charms

It doesn't take long for the bell to go, when it does, I pack away my things, jump off the desk I had been sitting on and head out the door in time to see Tracy walking out of the classroom, Daphne already half way down the hall.

"Does she not know how to socialize?" I ask as I jump into step with Tracy, smirking as she jumps slightly.

"Obviously not." Millicent answers from behind us, "but forgetting her, I lost my timetable, what do we have next?" I laugh, shaking my head at Millicent but readily provide her the answer. Noticing, as I turn to look at her, that the boys are walking behind, watching us warily.

"Charms, with Professor Flitwick." Pansy scowls from next to Millicent, "Charms sounds so boring," she whines, shoulders slumping as we make our way up the stairs.

"Not as boring as History sounds," I quickly point out, "why we have to be taught by a ghost, I'll never know."

"Here," I blink in surprise by being addressed by Malfoy, but obligingly turn my head so as to see him better as we head down the next hallway, at the end, I can already see Daphne waiting outside. "If you lost your parents, and were brought up by a squib, how do you know so much?"

"What do you mean?" I frown, turning to walk backwards so as to gauge his reaction as my heart hammers, he's too young to do legilamency, right?

"How do you know we are taught by a ghost?" I raise my eyebrow, calming at the simple question.

"Hannah and Megan had it first this morning," I answer, crossing my fingers behind my back, "We were discussing what we had had so far at lunch."

"You shouldn't be consorting with the likes of them." Malfoy informs me as we come to a stop behind the ever silent presence of Daphne Greengrass.

"The likes of who?" I immediately ask, "My siblings?"

"They are consorting with Mudbloods and the like, we Slytherins are better than that." He informs me pompously.

"What did I say yesterday, and this morning about that stupid ass word?" I whine, crossing my arms and glaring at the git. "I'm not going to stop talking with my siblings. No matter _who_ they are friends with." I add with finality.

The door opens, completing the finality of my statement nicely as we all file in. I pick a seat at the front of the stands, Hermione on one side, Steph on the other, the boys take seats at the top and Parvati and Lavender choose half way up.

Professor Flitwick, the smallest teacher, perched on top of his well-placed books and begins the register. As soon as he finishes, he goes straight into the lesson.

"Charms is a skill requiring precise magic in both wand movement and in speech. In order to succeed, one must practice practice practice!" The tiny man tells us.

I roll my eyes and lean back. Turning my head, I see Draco and Zabini murmuring to each other. I turn to Daphne, at the edge of the front bench she is paying avid attention, rolling my eyes again, I sigh, I despise lectures. Instead of paying attention, I start fiddling, taking my wand out my pocket and twiddling it about. Daphne must have caught the movement as she glances up and glares at me but I ignore her, turning instead to the paper pushed in front of me.

' _Would a growth charm work on him?'_ I turn to glare at Tracy, taking my own quill and awkwardly scratching a reply.

' _Don't you think they would have tried if it was possible_?' Passing the paper back to Tracy, I shake my head and tune back into the lecture.

"...Before we can start on your first spell, you must learn the words, the wand movement and the power needed behind it. Now if you would take notes." A shuffling emitted from the class as everyone began to take their books out as well as quills and pots of ink. I turn back to my own Parchment, putting Tracy's new note under it for later.

"Charms is useful in the home, work and general everyday tasks, charms can also be the difference between a win and loss in a duel."

Charms useful, home, work and every day, can help win a duel. Finishing my notes, I pick up Tracy's paper again. ' _Isn't he part Goblin? He'd be offended if anyone asks, so no, I don't think so, why don't we? Besides, the spell was created like fifty years ago'_

' _Do you want detention on our first day_!?' I reply, giving her it back just in time to catch the next part of the lecture.

"It is Charms that allow us to wash our dishes via magic, clean our laundry, quickly freshen up before heading out the door, keep our children safe."

I note that down, and tune out, going onto automatic as I retreat back to my awaiting notes, any mistakes will be fixed by a more concentrated me later on.

' _You already have one, so doesn't bother me, besides, we're not meaning it offensively, it might help him in class, better than standing on a set of books all lesson. '_

' _Point_ ,' I concede, ' _but I'm sure if he wanted it done it would have been done_.' Sliding it back to Tracy, I turn back to my own notes.

"The words are Winguardian Liviosa." I write the words down, grinning, I actually know this, "And you must ensure you pronounce it correctly. A mispronunciation can cause drastic effects. Does anybody know what can happen?"

Tracy puts her hand up slowly, her other hand sliding the next note towards me.

"Yes miss-?"

"Davis, sir. Tracy Davis. You can set the object you are trying to make fly on fire."

"Correct. Five points to Slytherin."

Tracy smiles happily, as Millicent and I pat her on the back, writing down in her book.

"The levitating spell was created in the sixteenth century by warlock Jarleth Hobart. To demonstrate the spell, he cast it on himself-" at this, professor Flitwick picked up his wand and swished it in an odd u shape at himself and said the words clearly. He rose into the air. "And appeared as if he was flying. Can anyone tell me why he was not in fact flying?"

I raise my hand. He looks at me.

"He wasn't moving?" I guess.

"Well that is true but that is not the correct answer." Daphne put her hand in the air. "Yes?"

"The spell had been cast on his clothes, not himself." She sounded bored, I spare a slight glare her way.

"Correct. Another five points to Slytherin. Can anyone tell me why it was not cast on his self?" The professor asks as he lowers himself back onto his seat.

"He was too big?" I ask, widening my eyes deliberately. Behind me I can hear three snorts of laughter. And roll my eyes, guessing its Draco and his goons.

"Partly correct."

Not even Daphne put her hand up.

"No? The levitation charm can only be placed on an inanimate object or a live one much lighter than the original caster."

I gave up on trying to take notes and instead decided to just copy Tracy's later on. I look over to her book and saw she had written twice more than what the teacher had said. My eyes widened for real. _Where on earth did she find the time to write all that? And send me notes?_

I turn to my next note from her instead, shaking my head in wonder. 'I _believe it just won't work on him because of his Goblin blood.'_

' _Why did you bring the point forward if you believe it won't even work!?'_

"For the rest of class, I want you to write an essay, using your textbooks, on the various uses of the levitation charm."

I take my book, _The Standard Book of Spells - Grade 1_ , out and read the chapter on levitation before starting on an essay. I got half way down a page before the bell rang.

We pack up together, silently and Professor Flitwick dismisses us, but not before deciding the rest of the essay is set for homework. We leave the class in a groan.

In silent agreement, the ten of us, five males and five females, head down to the Slytherin common room first, to change and dump our stuff before heading back up for tea.

Once in the great hall and seated, I tuck into my food, occasionally joining in the conversations around me whilst my mind wanders.

W _hat is going to happen with our ages? We are in eleven year old bodies and yet mentally I still feel nineteen. And I'm sure Megan, Katherine, Adam and Steph still feel 17. Hannah, and Gregor 16. Will we mentally age as well? Or will we mentally remain this age? And what about puberty? I don't feel like going through growth pains again._

As these thoughts flicker through my mind, we all finish our dinner and walk out the hall, the Hufflepuff's and Ravenclaw's following, I fall back, waving goodbye to Tracy and Millicent, Pansy had decided to walk ahead with Daphne.

"Let's see if we can find the room of Requirement. Then we can talk." Megan suggests. I agree and, just as I'm about to say we wait on Steph, she appears. And so we begin to head up the bazillion flights of stairs to the seventh floor.

"Did the founders not need to breathe at all?" I pant as we reach the fourth floor, my bag and body becoming heavier and heavier with each step.

"Na, they probably just apparated, before the wards were put up," Adam answers from the front, not sounding out of breathe at all.

"Do you have lungs of steel or something?" I ask breathlessly as he reaches the top of this flight and bounds up the next. "It's not natural, whatever he has." I finish quietly enough so that only Megan, Steph and Hannah, whom are panting and wheezing next to me, hear.

We reach the next flight and begin the slow treck up.

Step after step after step. Never ending steps.

"I tell you, I am NOT taking Divination when we get the chance." I inform everyone as we round up to the sixth floor.

"Why ... Not?" Katherine pants from behind me.

"It's even higher than this." I tell her.

"Come on wooses! I'm at the top already!" Adams excruciatingly jolly voice calls down from above the next flight.

"I swear he must be a robot," Hannah pants from next to me causing me to snort.

"Robot domination evil master plan one. Master the stairs. Complete." I say with a grin.

"Mission two, slaughter petty Humans at the top" Steph finishes for me causing the five of us to laugh as we finally reach the top.

"What tapestry is it next to?" Hannah asks still panting and wheezing.

"Dunno. But I figured out why Hogwarts doesn't have P.E." Gregor pants from his position slumped against the wall. I collapse and lie flat out in the middle if the hall, my legs slowly turning into jelly. I master enough energy to snort before my head falls back on the floor and I close my eyes. Next to me I sense Steph copying Gregor's and my idea.

"Let's just rest up a bit, yes?" Hannah suggests as she slides down the wall.

Several murmurs of agreement follow her question.

After an unknown time of lying on the floor, arm hanging over the top step, my heart decides to resume its normal pace and my breathing follows soon after.

"We ready?" I ask as I sit up, looking at the various states of my friends.

"Do we have to?" Steph complains but she grabs my offered hand and pulls herself up.

"Opposite the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy." I inform everyone as we start walking down the hall.

"Why don't we use the point me spell?" Megan asks from the back.

"Cause we are exploring." Katherine tells her with a grin, "and the best way to explore is blindly."

"Found it!" Steph shouts from around a corner to which we all run around to see her standing in front of a picture of a short, mad man attempting to teach trolls ballet.

I stand and watch as the short guy shouts up at the three large, stick wielding trolls whom just look at him strangely.

Rolling my eyes, I turn my back on him and instead stare at the empty slab of wall. Walking up to it, I close my eyes and begin pacing.

 _We need somewhere to relax and talk freely. We need somewhere we can relax and talk freely. We need a place to relax and talk freely._

A low grinding noise answers my thoughts and I open my eyes to see a large, dark brown door on the previously blank wall. With a smile, I step forward and open the door to step inside and gasp at the sight.

Inside the door is an exact replica of the atrium of our High School. And over in the far corner is our tree and our bench. I walk over to it and sit down in my spot, a grin on my face I look out to the familiar pretty garden.

Before arriving here, Megan, Steph and I had completely finished school. We're never going to return. I didn't think we were going to sit here again, all of us in our group. Looking about, Hannah, Gregor, Adam and Megan have all taking their seats around me.

Katherine is standing awkwardly looking around, I smile up at her, making room between Steph and I for her. With Katherine and I having met in college, she never went to school with us. This is the first she's seen our old favorite spot. She takes it thankfully, sitting straighter than usual.

"Anyone got a pack of cards?" I ask with a lopsided grin.

"Why the atrium?" Hannah asks, looking around.

"I asked for somewhere we could speak freely and relax. The place we were happiest together has always been sitting here at lunch, hasn't it?" I reply.

"Yeah, typical that. The place we feel most relaxed together is the place we hated the most." Megan laughs as she leans back, looking up at the cloudy day.

"What are we gonna do though?" Steph asks, seriousness filling her posture.

"Well... Live through Hogwarts I guess," I tell her.

"But are we saving people from dying?" Steph continues, looking directly at me.

"I think we should. This is why Mr. D brought us here, wasn't it?" I continue, looking back at her.

"But who do we save and when?" Megan cuts in.

"Well first of would be Cedric, wouldn't it?" Hannah says logically.

"What about Quirrel?" Steph queries.

"We were told not to change anything this year and next." I tell her, secretly though, I don't want to save him. He willingly allowed Voldemort into his head. "And I don't think it is possible to save him anyway." I finish

"Yeah, probably not. But the basilisk next year. We have told everyone we are half-bloods. If we see it, we will be attacked. It only attacks Muggleborn's." Gregor frowns.

"No," I quickly answer, "the story leaves room for us to be any kind."

"Are we friends or siblings?" Hannah asks.

"We are all cousins." Steph tells her.

"I've been saying either siblings or friends."

"We're been saying friends." Katherine says.

"It's a bit... Far-fetched though, isn't it?" Gregor asks from his corner next to Hannah.

"Yes, but it would explain how we all know each other." I explain, "All of us being Muggleborn and being in the same town is incredibly unlikely."

"Besides, apparently the Slytherins believe it - Louise isn't dead yet." Megan shrugs. I pout but laugh it off.

"What's the plan for this year?" Adam asks as he leans on the wall next to Steph.

"Make connections. Try and become friends with Cedric. Gain his trust." I tell them, looking at Hannah and Megan.

"Okay. So basically, make friends." Hannah summarizes unnecessarily.

"Yes." I say.

"What about Crouch Jr?" Megan asks, "He's under the imperius curse just now. That will still be weakening at the World Cup. He might still escape and be the one that brings Voldy back."

I breathe in deeply, frowning as I think of the possibilities of us changing everything. It's a lot more work than fanfictions usually make it seem. That could mean we could work towards freeing Sirius - if Crouch Jr ends up getting Voldemort for us and we can catch Pettigrew.

"We will cross that bridge when we come to it." I finally answer.

"What are you all going to do with Harry?" I ask. "In to help or staying out of it?"

"In" Hannah tells me immediately, beside her, Gregor nods.

"Me too."

"I'm in. I wanna help." Megan answers.

"In." Hannah decides.

"I'll help. This should be a lot funner than sitting at home killing people on my computer." Adam says with a grin.

"I don't want to be in any battles though," Katherine continues, not meeting anyone's eyes. "I'm sorry, but I'm a coward."

"No you're not. We need brains to help as well." Megan tells her.

"Yeah, but I won't be fighting, you will all think if me as a coward."

"Don't you dare ever think I think that of you! I would never think that of any of you, no matter what you choose. This is a battle to the death most likely. This is real. Maybe we won't all make it out. Maybe when we die here, we go back to our time. None of us are proper adults yet. We are still technically kids. I'm surprised this many of us are willing to join. This is going to be dangerous. And self-preservation is not a weakness. It's smart. It's how the human race is still alive. So don't you ever say anything like that again!" I rant, entirely truthfully.

We have all come to a realization via my speech.

Being at Hogwarts isn't as great as it's made out to be. Yeah back in my time I read a lot of fanfictions were people go to Hogwarts and all is fun and games. They muck around. They enjoy themselves, they don't have to worry about any problems. But this is not fanfiction. This is real. And this is our very real lives on the line. We might not all make it through seven years.

But it's a risk I am willing to take.


	7. Chapter 7 - Slytherin Fun

**Changing the Past**

 _Chapter Seven_

Slytherin Fun?

Having made our decisions concerning our fate, we slowly get up and leave, Gregor, Adam, Katherine and Steph making immediate left turns, heading up the stairs to their respective dorms. Megan, Hannah and I continue on our way down.

"How do you get to your dorm?" I ask after two flights of silence, "Is it near the kitchens?"

Megan laughs at the eagerness in my voice whilst Hannah shakes her head, answering me, "No, I don't think the kitchens are in the dungeons, there are a set of barrels, we hit them in a pattern and get in,"

"That's it?" I ask, incredulous, "That's all the safety you get, hitting some barrels?" Megan answers for me this time, with a smirk.

"I'd like to see you have a go, if you hit the wrong barrel or tap the wrong amount of times you get hit in the face with a stream of magically induced vinegar."

"Magically induced how?" I immediately question, lowering my voice as we pass a Ravenclaw heading up the stairs.

"It's enchanted so the smell won't go away for a week." Hannah informs us, I wrinkle my nose, imagining the smell of vinegar for a full week – yuck. "What about Slytherin?" Hannah continues as we near the last flight, the Great Hall in sight in front of us.

"We have a wall behind a draping, it's much like the wall at Diagon Alley," I answer readily, inwardly wincing at the thought of the other Slytherins hearing me tell them this.

"Is it really littered with the bones of the previous Muggleborn's?" Megan asks, I stop in the middle of the stairs, turning to look at her directly, her face is blank, but her eyes are glinting, something she never could hide.

"And where on earth did you hear that!?" I grind out, continuing my walk down, turning left at the bottom of the stairs, towards the dungeons.

"Hannah Bones and Susan were informing us last night, and how you must be evil to have been allowed to go there," Hannah tells me, I turn, stopping at an alcove just before the dungeons, not willing to stop our conversation this soon.

"Well you can tell Hannah and Susan," I begin with my head up, looking down at my friends over my nose, making my voice high and pompous, "that we live in a mysterious, underwater shipwreck."

"A shipwreck?" Hannah asks, eyebrow raised, I sniff and nod, turning my back on them.

"And I am highly insulted at their vulgar claims. I would never sleep on the bones of those before me – I'd much rather sleep on the skin of my foes."

"And that's better, how?" Megan asks, I turn my head slightly, seeing Hannah has her hand over her mouth, either trying not to puke or laugh, same difference.

"I personally skinned them for offending me." Hannah loses her battle and starts laughing, Megan and I join in soon after, the three of us sitting on the floor of an alcove, Hufflepuff's and Slytherin's alike giving us odd looks as they pass.

"We should probably head, I think it's almost curfew, and we'll be working on Homework together." Hannah inform me when we sober up. Together, we stand back up, still grinning stupidly.

"All right," I sadly agree as we start to walk to our separation, "Ensure you remember to give Susan and Hannah my message though," I add as the turn right half way down the next hall.

I continue on alone, wandering silently down the echoey hall, thinking back on my first day at Hogwarts. It had gone so fast, I have already had Potions, Defence and Charms. Snape, Quirrel and Flitwick all in one day, what fun.

Apparently I'm actually good at Potions as well, I fairly enjoyed just following the instructions, watching the potion create itself under my careful instruction. I can understand Snape's love for the art, but he really should instruct more, by asking one little question I managed to stop a catastrophe in class. And I don't have the books with me, So I have no idea what Neville's next mistake will be, perhaps I should work with Neville, not Steph, that wat Snape will be less likely to pick on him and I can help ensure he doesn't blow any potion up, it might make him more confident quicker.

Mental note: Ask Steph to switch potion partners. We're sure to have other classes together, the teachers love to put Slytherin and Gryffindor together.

Talking of Slytherin, Defence was actually alright – once I left the room. His stutter isn't as bad as I had expected it to be, but it's still Voldemort teaching us. Nope, no thanks. And then we had Charms where we wrote a load of stuff.

Seriously, though. Why have a day of lessons, then have a long two days off? Why not just get the three days off? By this point, I have reached the Tapestry covering the wall to my common room, and so, with a deep breath, I cut off my thoughts and head in.

"Pure," the wall opens up, just as it had last night and earlier today. Inside, there are groups of Slytherin's scattered all over, some doing work over scattered books and parchment, others sitting talking, some playing games, some sitting reading.

I head over to one of the groups sitting talking, consisting of Pansy, Tracy, Millicent and, surprisingly, Daphne. It seems Pansy succeeded in getting her out of her loner streak.

"Hey, Louise, you going to join us?" Tracy asks as she spots me walking up to them, I smile and nod, plonking myself on the floor between Tracy and Pansy. "Great," Tracy grins, scooting over a bit, allowing me more room.

"What are we doing?" I ask, noticing they each have a cup of beans in front of them.

"GLouise told us we have to participate in this game to create stronger bonds between us all." Millicent informs me, I look up to where she is sitting, directly opposite me and almost laugh at the glare of distrust she is giving the cup.

"What's in the cup?" I continue as Pansy hands me one, I look into it, there are five beans, all different coloured. Some multi-coloured, others one. One specific bean looks a disgusting green-orange.

"Every-Flavoured Beans," Millicent flinches, my stomach rolls. I _hate_ these things.

"And we have to use these?" I plead, "We can't use like a horrible drink or something?"

"Nope." Tracy answers me, popping the 'p' happily.

"Okay, let's just get on with it." Daphne drones from next to Millicent, looking bored.

"Get on with what?" I whine, still confused as I spot the boys in the other side of the room seemingly playing the same thing, Malfoy is currently sticking a bright pink bean into his mouth, much to Zabini's amusement.

"Never have I ever." Tracy answers, practically jumping on the spot, face alight.

"Isn't that a muggle game?" I ask, nonplussed, why are _Slytherin's_ actively playing this game?

"Who do you think created the game?" Daphne sneers. I let it go, not willing to create cold feelings this early into the game.

"All right," I sigh, resigned, "who starts?"

"Me!" Pansy immediately yelps, sitting straight up. "Never have I ever been traveling." I pause, _do I take my answers from my previous life?_ And if I do, do I go right up to age nineteen? Or just to elven? Can I even remember that far back? Well my first holiday to Egypt I was nine so… I reach blindly into my cup and take out a bean.

It's a bright yellow mixed with slight white. _Okay, so either lemon or…._ Unable to think of what else it could be, I shrug and hold it to my mouth. Pansy is holding a dark red to her own mouth. Nodding to each other, we put them in.

I chew, nervously poking the treat with my mouth.

"Popcorn?" I ask, relaxing at the non-disgusting taste. I look to Pansy who doesn't seem to be having as much luck with hers, her face is scrunched as she struggles to swallow.

"Blood!" She gasps out, shivering in disgust, I laugh alongside Tracy and Millicent as Pansy starts running her tongue against her teeth. "Where did you go?" Tracy asks me as we wait on Pansy.

"Egypt on holiday," I answer, closing my eyes in remembrance.

"What was it like?" Millicent adds, looking interested.

"Hot." I answer immediately, "And sandy. But it was great."

"Who's next?" Pansy asks, deciding to recover, eyeing Tracy.

"We haven't asked where you went yet!" Millicent interrupts, pouting. Rolling her eyes, Pansy answers.

"Rome. A business trip with my parents."

"Oh, Millicent answers, looking down. "So who's next?" She adds, we turn to Pansy.

"Millicent." She decides. We turn to her, waiting as she thinks about her statement.

"Never have I ever broken a bone." I groan, this isn't fir. I've broken a total of three bones – my arm at like six years old and two bones in my leg at eleven.

My next bean is pure white. I have a bad feeling about it. Looking up, I notice Pansy, Tracy and Daphne all have beans as well.

"Cheers," I call out, shoving the bean in my mouth and biting down. _Mmmmm_ this one is _nice._ Looking around, the other three seem to be having nice ones as well. Millicent looks disappointed.

"So, Louise, what did you break?"

"My arm, when I was seven, I tripped over the cat." I answer truthfully. Pansy and Tracy laugh at my disgruntled frown.

"I hope you didn't hurt it!" Millicent gasps, I get the feeling she isn't talking about the arm.

"No, the cat was fine. He ran away for about a week, but he came back. Pansy?" I add, cutting her laughing off, "What did you break?"

"My foot, I stole my dad's wand when I was about four and I managed to levitate the bookshelf on top of me." It's my turn to laugh alongside Tracy now as Pansy smirks.

"Safe to say you would have learned your lesson," Tracy scoffs, still laughing. "I broke my nose when my brother-in-law pushed me down the stairs."

"Ouch," I wince, we turn, as one to Daphne.

"What did you break? And how?" Tracy asks her, Daphne mumbles something before looking up, daring us to laugh.

"Me and my sister were mucking around on the brooms, when I got pushed off by Astoria and broke my foot." I wince in sympathy, a sibling causing a break isn't nice.

"Daphne, you're turn." Millicent decides. Daphne smirks.

"Never have I ever been considered for another house."

I was considered for Gryffindor, so I take, as does Millicent and Tracy.

Pansy goes next, "Never have I ever stolen from someone." At last, I don't need to take a bean, Daphne, Tracy and Millicent do. Then it's my turn,

"Never have I ever cared about blood prejudices," All four of them take, I don't react, knowing that I have the chance to change them, besides, they have all most likely grown up in largely prejudiced households, growing up in a place like that will rub off on you.

"Never have I ever considered joining the Dark Lord." Tracy states. Millicent and Pansy take a bean, I smile, we seem to be getting to the nitty gritty already.

"Never have I ever physically harmed another person." Millicent decides, eying us. Pansy, Daphne and I take a bean. I take the green orange one, the second last.

Pansy puts her last one in her mouth as Daphne, like me, takes her second last. Mine turns out to be some pumpkin flavoured one, not too nice, but not disgusting either.

Its Daphne's turn next, she takes longer this time, and we're all on our last bean. Suddenly, she smirks, looking right at me, "Never have I ever been taught about puberty." I glare back at her as I take the last bean into my mouth, wincing at the indescribable horrible taste as Daphne continues to get the death glare. I am out of the game.

"Low blow, Daphne," I grump, sitting back to watch the end.

With just Tracy, Millicent and Daphne left, it doesn't take long for Daphne to be declared the winner. Before she can claim bragging rights, however, GLouise walks up to us and informs us it's time for first years to go to bed.

Grumbling, but willing enough, we get up and head for the dorms, noticing the boys being sent as we vanish around the corner. Reaching our room, we get changed and settle on our beds, even Daphne leaves her curtains open.

"You are a cheat and I demand a rematch." Tracy declares, the first to speak as she glares to the other side of the room at Daphne.

"I'm not risking a rematch." I decide, laughing at Tracy's offended glare, "What?" I ask innocently, "I'll be defeated in seconds, she knows too much." At the opposite end of the room, I notice Daphne smirking smugly to herself.

"Just you wait," Tracy adds, "We'll get you back. One way or another." Daphne just raises a blonde eyebrow, face straight.

"We have to play some card games," Millicent declares, "I'll get my mum to send my pack over."

"Sounds fun." I agree, "Hey, do these alarms automatically turn off for the weekend? I don't fancy being woken too early tomorrow."

"No," Pansy says, "You'll have to reset it now, I did mine this morning."

"Oh, okay. Thanks." I proceed to turn, facing my roof and tell the alarm not to go off tomorrow.

"Sure thing, Louise, enjoy your night!" It replies, I glare up at the ceiling as the other girls snigger.

"You chose the happy wake up?" Pansy gasps, I nod, not understanding their mirth.

"You didn't have one of these at home, did you?" Daphne shakes her head, shoulders shaking as she struggles to hold in more laughter.

"No, why?" I whine, getting frustrated.

"The spell for the perky alarm has some…" Pansy trails off, waving her arms around before shrugging her shoulders. Tracy takes her up.

"It has some glitches." She tells me plainly.

"What kind of glitches? How can a spell have glitches?"

"It develops a personality of its own." Tracy answers, looking nervously at my bed.

"What? Like an AI?"

"What's an AI?" Millicent asks, I roll my eyes and tell them to continue with my alarm clock.

"I heard one once actually developed a body of its own!" Pansy informs me.

"A spell?" I ask, "A spell develops a conscience and a body of its own. You're telling high tales." Firmly believing I have caught them out, I shake my head in mock disappointment and decide to sleep, it has been a long day.

From the shuffling behind me, I take a guess the others have followed my example and settled down to sleep for the night.

"Louise! I know you said not to get you up this early, but I was already awake!" I groan and lift my head from the pillow, looking around for the source of the noise. "Louise?" It asks, instead of answering, I pull the covers up to my shoulders and glare around me. "Are you okay?"

"What time is it?" I growl out, the voice pauses for a minute, seemingly contemplating.

"Five Forty-five in the morning." It finally replies perkily.

"And why," I grit out, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath, "Am I currently awake on a Saturday morning?"

"Because I was bored?" The voice replies, I growl in response, deciding to get out of bed and take a nice long bath to compensate for being woken up as early.

Never ending Lavender bubbles set up the scene nicely as I discard my Jammies and settle down in the bath, sighing as the heat reaches into all my tense muscles, the lavender scent filling my nostrils, calming me down as my brain catches up.

My alarm clock woke me up.

Because she was _Bored._

Sighing, I clench my nose and dip under the water, holding my breath for as long as I can before resurfacing and lying back, closing my eyes. That stupid alarm clock can't wake me up here.

Sometime later – I must have dozed off, Millicent is banging and screaming at the door for me to get out.

"I'm busy." I answer, opening my eyes to the light and glaring over to the door.

"How are you up before me again!?" She complains, thumping hard on the door, giving the direction of the thump, I guess it's a kick this time.

"Alarm clock has a sense of humour." I answer with, standing up and shivering in the sudden cold air. Reaching over with prune like fingers, I grab a towel and wrap it around my prune like body.

Stepping out, Millicent barges past me with a glare, her dark brown hair in knots around her chubby face. I raise an eyebrow but she closes the door before she had the chance to see and comment.

Turning back into the room, I notice the other girls are already up and sitting around the door, awaiting Millicent and I finishing. I drop back under my closed curtains and get changed into a comfortable pair of jeans and a blue top. Propping my glasses back on my face, I open up my curtains, ready to face the day at last.

Once Millicent is also ready, we head out of the dorm as a group, the second years on the stairs right in front of us and out of the hall.

Sitting down for breakfast, wedged between Tracy and Millicent, I opt for a bowl of Coco Pops and some nice cold milk today.

"So," Millicent begins, over a chocolate toast slice, "How was your sleep?" She's looking right at me as she takes another bite from her toast, I glare back at her, slowly swallowing my mouthful as the others are watching me expectantly.

"The bloody alarm clock woke me up at six," I grumble, taking another bite, my last bite, before they can get me to continue. At the entrance hall, I notice Draco Malfoy coming in, a red faced Ron Weasely directly behind him, and take an easy guess I had just missed a confrontation.

Draco walks up to the table, Crabbe and Goyle right behind him, and take the seats next to Daphne and Pansy on the other side from Tracy and me.

"Red haired eejit get your boxers in a twist?" I ask, smirking as Draco glowers at the food around him, "you know the food for eating, not practicing your death glare, right?" I add, smiling sweetly as said death glare is turned to me.

"That blood traitor believes he's better for Potter than I am." Draco snarls, unfortunately ignoring my jab at him, I had been looking forward to a confrontation with him… maybe next time.

"I don't think either of you are good for him. I honestly think Longbottom would do better than you two."

"What!?" Draco asks incredulously. "That squib would be a better friend to Potter than me?"

"The two of you are arrogant, prejudiced pricks. And I don't believe the Boy-Who-Lived should be friends with anyone like that, case closed." I say, tipping my bowl to my mouth, gulping down the rest of my cereal and leaving the table, heading straight to the Gryffindor's where I can see Steph chatting amiably with Parvati and Lavender.

"Hey Louise," Steph calls out as she sees me approaching, waving a goodbye to the other two girls and getting up to join me.

"Hey, Steph, good night?"

"Yeah, it was great, we stayed up and just talked till about three in the morning, and then we went to bed. Hermione is still there, apparently she isn't a morning person. She asked us to bring something up for her later.

"How about we go see the grounds today?" I venture, "I fancy some fresh air."

"That sounds great!" Steph agrees, we quickly round up the 'Claw's and 'puffs and head out side, choosing a seat down by the lake to sit and talk.

Soon after, Gregor and I enter a disagreement which leads to a small fight.

A fight which, hear, can involve magic.

In my defence, however, he started it by trying to disarm me. I just returned the favour and maybe or maybe didn't turn it into an outright dual… quickly getting Katherine, Steph and Hannah involved.


	8. Chapter 8 - Game Plans

**Changing from Within**

 _Chapter Eight_

Game Plans

"Expeliarmus!" I leap out of the way of the spell Gregor shot at me, the bright red beam barely missing my head as I fall back.

"You-" I try, unable to word anything in shock at his sudden attack.

"You still think I'm a pompous git?" Gregor has no problems finding words as he passes his wand between his hands.

"I never said you were, I said that's what our Prefect said you were!" I defend myself, cautiously standing back up, wand held firmly in my hands.

"You didn't need to repeat it." Gregor growls back, lifting his wand back up and pointing it directly at me. I roll away just as he opens his mouth, "Stupefy."

"You were going to KNOCK ME OUT!?" I shriek, flicking my wand up and yelling the first spell that comes to my head, "Levicorpus,"

Gregor, not being in the correct position, is unable to dodge and gets picked up by his ankle, floating in the air, yelling profanities at me.

"Finite," I turn to the source of the voice as Gregor falls back down, landing with a thud on his back, I turn my glare on the smirking Adam.

"What did you do that for?" I snarl, twisting my body so I have both males in my sites, preventing any attacks from the back.

"You were boring me," He answers with a shrug, besides, I had to see if the spell worked or not. It's one thing reading about the spells and another trying them out."

"Oh," I answer, my momentary spite with Gregor forgotten as I turn my full attention to Adam, "What spells have you read about so far? How many have you tried out? Want to try some out now?" My thirst for knowledge over rides any need for revenge as I happily sit next to Adam. Gregor crawls over to us and takes a book out from his bag, Steph comes over to us, putting her own book down, and looking intrigued.

"This is the book we've been looking at so far," He informs me, sitting it on the ground between us, "It's mostly jinxes, we haven't had the chance to try them out yet."

"Well let's try them out now!" I decide, Katherine wanders over to us, looking interested as Hannah and Megan lie bathing in the weak sunlight.

"We found this spell, I think it's the one Ginny is good at," Katherine informs us, flipping through the book and landing on the Bat-Bogey hex.

"Yes!" I cry out, leaning into the book for the instructions.

The incantation, I find immediately at the top of the page – _'Vespertilio Larva'_ Underneath the incantation is a brief description on the wand movements, a circle then push out, and a summery on the inventor of the spell. One Miranda Goshawk who cast it on her three sisters for various reasons.

"Who's going to volunteer to be the first victim?" Adam asks, smirking.

"You just did," Katherine and I inform him in perfect synchronisation, his smirk quickly vanishes as Katherine levels his wand at him.

" _Vespertilio Larva,"_ She calls out, right as Adam casts a Protego. The lime green coloured spell hits the see through, plastic looking shield and fizzles out, Katherine slumps in disappointment. "That's cheating." She informs him.

"I was hardly going to take it without complaint," Adam smirks back, lowering his shield.

"Well I think we can still call it a success," I console Katherine, "You got a colour out, and it looked vaguely bogey like in colour." I add with a shrug at her frown. "But we need to find a simple spell-" I cut myself off, grinning as another idea springs to mind.

"Hey, Megan?" I call, turning around to see her sit up, shielding her eyes as she looks over at me with a grunt. "Remember how we wanted to go paintballing a while ago and it failed miserably?" Megan nods, as does Hannah who has just sat up next to her.

"Yeah, what about it?" She asks, sitting up next to Hannah to get a better view.

"We know there's the stinging hex, and there should be some variation that will allow for colour as well…"

"Wait," Gregor cuts me off, grinning madly, "You're not thinking what I think you're thinking, are you?"

"A pseudo paintball fight here at Hogwarts with magic?" I grin back.

"Oh my word, yes, that sounds so fun!" Steph decides, Gregor takes the book up, flicking through it.

"I'm sure I saw something like that last night," He mumbles as he searches through the thick tome. Just as I spot Ron and Harry heading out of the castle, Gregor exclaims that he has found it.

I take my attention off the two wizards and turn to my almost brother instead.

"Maybe using the stinging jinx isn't the best of ideas," Gregor decides, turning the book around to allow me to see.

I quickly agree. The Jinx is a dark one that causes allergy like swelling wherever it hits. "Damnit," I voice, I had been looking forward to the idea.

"We could do it with Stupefy," Steph suggests, but Adam shakes his head in the negative.

"The game would be over way to soon that one knocks us unconscious." He informs us, as Gregor continues flicking through the book, looking for a spell we could use.

"There's the impediment Jinx, it temporarily freezes a target." Gregor says, smiling as he reads through the page. I lean over and start reading it upside down, with only slight difficulty.

' _The Impediment Jinx, also known as the Impediment Hex is a jinx that slows the target. The jinx will usually immobilize a target, it can also be sued to throw a target backward or simply decrease the velocity of the victim's movement. If cast correctly, the Impediment jinx is a turquoise colour._

 _The incantation for the Impediment jinx is simply impedimenta,'_ Bellow is a moving diagram depicting the wand movement, a simple circle with the entire hand.

"This sounds good," Gregor says, will we try it? We need to make sure we can all cast it."

"Okay," I readily agree, whilst reading, Megan and Hannah had moved closer to us, looking highly intrigued. "You try it on me first," I offer, standing up and backing away, closer to the lake. "I'll run towards you, cast the spell and we'll see if it works." I instruct.

I wait until Gregor stands up wand in hand and pointing at me. Then I start running forwards, about a meter away, Gregor casts the spell and I feel an immediate sluggishness taking me over. I continue moving forward, feeling much like I do in nightmares when trying to run from things, sluggish and unable to move any faster than a slow motion walk.

All of a sudden the effects wear off and I stumble, tripping over a stone and falling flat on my front, much to the amusement of the others. "Well," I grumble, pushing up so I can see them, "Gregor can certainly cast it."

"Yes!" Gregor shouts, pumping a fist in the air, "This is so awesome! It's only fair you get to cast it on me now." He then decides as I stand up, brushing the grass and dirt from my clothes.

Grinning, I turn around, facing him.

"Ready?" He asks, I grip my wand, feeling a wave of power flow up my arm in anticipation. I nod my acceptance and watch as he starts to run towards me.

"Impedimenta," I call out as he draws closer, shivering in delight as I feel a surge of power shoot through my hand and into the air. A turquoise coloured strip flows out my wand and towards Gregor who slows comically, his arms swinging slowly from side to side as he struggles to keep moving.

Like it did with me, the spell wears off suddenly and he falls flat on his front with a resounding 'oof.'

I laugh in joy as Gregor gets back up with a shiver, "That felt weird." He decides, "But it will work. Maybe have someone keeping track of who gets hit the most? Make a game out of it?"

"I'll go next," Steph says, jumping gup and heading towards the lake. Hannah gets her wand out and readies. As with Gregor and I, Steph is slowed right down and then falls flat on her face at the sudden increase in speed.

One by one, we all try experiencing and casting the spell. We each succeed our first try. And we settle back down, preparing to create the rules and consequences of the new game.

"We should be allowed to cast Protego as well," Katherine puts in after Gregor and I stop arguing over whether we should have teams or not.

"No, I think it should be more focused on dodging," I disagree, "If we are in battel and faced with unforgivable, a Protego won't help us," Katherine, Steph and Megan nod in agreement.

"As well as this being a game, it can be practice for later on as well." Megan decides.

"Okay," I finish off, getting too antsy to begin the game. "So rules are, only Impediment jinx allowed to be cast. Once you have been hit five times, you are out and need to sit at the side. Teaming up is allowed, but there can only be one winner, so deception is also a must. Anyone found casting any other spells is immediately disqualified and out of the round. The two winners are then allowed a duel with any spell they know."

The others nod in agreement to the decided rules and we all get up, grouping our various bags and books together as we head back down to the lake, where there are fewer bystanders.

Unfortunately, two bystanders we had not previously noticed, crop up, pushing our game further back.

"Hello ickle Firsties." One of the ginger haired perpetrators starts, stepping directly in front of us and blocking our path.

"We couldn't help-"

"But over hear what sounds like-"

"An interesting game."

I glare at the Weasely twins as my fun is put further back. "Yes," I say, sidestepping one, but having the other step in front of me, effectively re-blocking my route. "What of it?"

"Well," Fred, I think, starts,

"Whilst listening in to your"

"Brilliant,"

"Fantastic,"

"Interesting idea,"

"We thought,"

"We might just have to join in,"

"And create a little sport out of it." George finishes, I tilt my head slightly, intrigued.

"What would you want to do with a bunch of first years?" I ask, narrowing my eyes at the two third years.

"You can all cast the spell," George starts this time,

"And so can we," Fred continues, I growl in exasperation, beside me, Steph seems to be getting just as frustrated as she snaps at them.

"Just get on with the point!"

"Well, how about,"

"We play the game spanning houses and,"

"Years. So that we can have proper teams.2

"As well as proper deceptions,"

"As we can have spies within teams." I nod along, that does sound interesting.

"How are you going to get other years and people to agree?" Adam asks, "I doubt many Slytherins would want to join."

"Not particularly," I disagree, "If I word the idea right, I might actually get a few Slytherins to join. We have some people from each house, so we can all propose the idea. Plus, it will be promoting house unity, so the teachers should be all for it as well, if they find out."

"All right,"

"It's a plan," The twins grin.

"We can easily get Gryffindor's to join in,"

"Meet back here in an hour,"

"That should be enough time to round people up."

With a plan in mind, we set off, Steph verging off before the castle as she spots Harry, Ron, Seamus, Dean and Neville in the grounds. The twins, Gregor, Adam and Katherine all head up the stairs when we get into the hall, stopping a group of girls on their way up. Megan, Hannah and I continue to the dungeons, The Hufflepuff's heading off at their cut off with a promise to meet at the entrance in a half an hour.

I find myself heading to the Slytherin common room, alone, again. Trying to decide how exactly I am going to propose the idea so the Slytherins find it intriguing enough to join.

Reaching the tapestry, I head in and spot Daphne, Tracy and Pansy sitting around the fire, chatting. Grinning at having some potential allies to help, I head directly for them.

"Decided to join your own house again?" Tracy asks with a light hearted smirk as I near them, Daphne looks up, then back to her book.

"I have an idea, and I need your help to implement it." I say, getting straight to the point. I notice Daphne stop reading, she glances to the side, towards me, looking intrigued.

"Go on," Pansy says waving har hand impatiently.

"Me and my friends have come up with a sort of game," I start, noticing as Daphne turns away again, but I continue on. "It's sort of like a muggle game, Paintballing, ever heard of it?" They both shake their heads in the negative.

"Well the game is, that muggles are given guns loaded with paint balls – literally balls of paint – and then they get put in an arena like place and shoot each other for fun. It's a great way of learning to avoid and duck as well as practicing aiming."

"Right," Pansy nods slowly, "That sounds stupid, why do they shoot each other for fun? Aren't guns those things they use to kill each other?"

"Yes," I accept, "But these guns are specifically designed to only cause bruises."

"Oh," Pansy sighs, looking relieved," That sounds a lot safer. What's the variation you have come up with?"

"We use the impediment Jinx," I state, Daphne looks back up, looking very interested.

"What does that jinx do?" Tracy asks, leaning forward in her seat, eyes shining.

"It immobilizes a person for about ten seconds," I say, "Perfectly harmless… except when you come back to and fall on your face. We have decided you can only use that spell to fire at other people whilst dodging yourself – shields are not allowed. If you get hit five times, you are out. The last two people have to duel to find the victor, they will be allowed to use any spell." I stop, taking in a breath and allowing the three girls to digest the information. "You are allowed to team up with people, but there can only be one winner."

"That sounds like it could be interesting," Daphne admits, "Why do you need our help with it?"

"Because," I begin, "The Weasely twins overheard us and decided it would be a good idea to have all the houses and years in the game, that way there can be proper spies in groups as you device strategies. And possibly we could use team and have a winning team instead of a winning person. So," I finish off, "I need your help to get the rest of our House interested in the idea."

"I don't think it will take much to get people interested," A fourth voice from behind me states, I jerk around with a jump, to come face-to-face with GLouise the prefect. "That sounds like a great idea, and we can also show off to the other houses how much better us Slytherins are. Leave it to me," She decides, "Where and when are you meeting?"

"Down by the lake, in about fifty minutes." I inform her, GLouise nods and heads of, looking excited. "Well," I turn to the others, "Will you be joining in?"

"Of course!" Tracy decides, jumping up, Daphne gets up as well, with more grace than Tracy. We turn to Pansy who nods.

"I'll go get Millicent. Then we can get the boys." She says, heading over to the dorms.

"Where are the boys?" I ask as we watch Pansy head off.

"Last I knew, they were heading outside as Theo wanted to see the castle properly." Tracy answers me.

"Okay, we'll wait for Pansy and Millicent then head out." Daphne decides, we head over to the exit and wait for the other two, watching as GLouise floats around the room, talking to each group individually, as she leaves, the groups huddle, looking various degrees of intrigued and excited.

Pansy and Millicent reappear, Pansy in the middle of filling Millicent in. We head out to the grounds together as Millicent stops grumbling about being woken up and instead starts asking questions, looking as excited as I feel.

At the end of the hall, Megan and Hannah are waiting, as promised, with a troop of Hufflepuff's behind them.

"You got a lot of intrigue," Megan comments, looking at the four girls behind me.

"Don't worry," I grin, "We have GLouise the prefect getting the rest of the house riled up enough to join."

"Wait," A Hufflepuff standing directly behind Hannah voices, looking wide eyed at me and my new friends, "the Slytherins are joining? They'll just cheat!" I glare at the boy, causing him to shrink back.

"I'll have you know, we are perfectly honourable when it comes to proving ourselves," I snap at him, "Besides," I decide, not sure how the others are going to take this, "All teams have to have at least one person from each house."

"They are?" Megan asks, blinking at me.

"Yup, house unity, remember." I say, smiling broadly at the idea.

"Well, we need to head out," Pansy states, Starting to walk away.

"Oh! I haven't introduced you!" I realise, causing Pansy to pause.

"This is Hannah Grey," I say, pointing at the blonde haired Hufflepuff at the front who waves shyly. "This one is Megan Finlay," I point to the girl next to Hannah, with long, auburn coloured hair who nods at them.

"This is Daphne Greengrass," I inform my friends, "She's the quiet type, then this one is Tracy Davis, she's awesome. And we have Millicent Bullstrode, who doesn't like the sorting hat, and she is Pansy Parkinson." I finish with a flourish.

Megan turns to the Hufflepuff's behind her and begins her introductions. She points to the small boy who had spoken out, "This is Ernie Macmillan, and next to him is Justin Finch-FLetchley. Then we have Hannah Abbott and Susan Bones." Hannah and Susan nod towards us whilst the two boys don't acknowledge us. "Behind us are a bunch of older students I don't know," Megan finishes, pointing to the fifteen odd other students, "But they were interested in the idea and so came along.

I eye the Hufflepuff's up, in the middle, I spot Cedric Diggory, and around him are a handful of boys his age as well as some older males and females.

"And Pansy is right, we need to go find the guys." I add in before they can start the introductions.

We head out, the twenty or so Hufflepuff's trailing behind, whispering amongst themselves.

Once out of the castle, we spot Steph with the First year Gryffindor males and females sitting at the tree we had previously occupied, I notice with a smile that Hermione has joined them. Judging by the wands, I safely take a guess that Steph is showing them the spell.

"Why don't you lot head over there?" I ask, "Steph is making sure you all know the spell." Hannah, Megan and the Hufflepuff's head over, the Hufflepuff's looking nervously over their shoulders at us.

Pansy, Daphne, Tracy and Millicent stay with me as we head around the castle, nto long later, I spot the platinum blonde hair of the Malfoy Ponce and we head that way, seeing that Vincent, Gregory, Blaise and Theodore are with him.

"Hey Draco," Pansy smiles as we reach them, grinning stupidly at him, I roll my eyes at the obvious crush and get straight to the point.

"We're having an inter-house game where you get to Impediment people for fun." I say, deciding the blunt will be far more intriguing to Draco, Theo and Blaise than the long winded explanation I gave to the girls.

"What if you don't know the spell?" Blaise asks, frowning as he stands up, the others copy him.

"It's an easy one," I inform him, "I can teach you it now."

"Who will be joining?" Theo asks, standing at the back, but, being the tallest, still easily able to see us all.

"The Weasely twins are getting the Gryffindor's, my friends are getting the Ravenclaw's and Hufflepuff's, the first year Gryffindor's and Hufflepuff's are already there, they are learning the spell now. GLouise is getting more Slytherins to join, there are also a handful of older Hufflepuff students." I inform him, Draco looks put out, but Blaise and Theo look interested.

"There will be house teams, and I'm thinking we will have to have at least one person of each house in a team," I tell them, noticing Draco's look of disgust. "It will be the beginning of a brand new tradition," I add, putting some of my composed excitement into my words, "where we will be allowed to hex other students, and it will improve our casting accuracy and dodging capabilities."

"I'm in," Blaise decides, Theo nodding along with him. Crabbe and Goyle look to Draco. "Come on, Draco, you never know, it could be fun." Pansy urges him, stepping closer to the ponce. Reluctantly, Draco nods his head, behind him, his two goons with potential copy.

"I can teach you the spell here, so you know it already," I offer, bouncing in excitement.

"Fine, this had better be worth it." Draco relents.

"Yes!" I shout in excitement, taking my wand out and getting ready to teach the others, getting ready for the start of a new tradition.


	9. Chapter 9 - Game Time

**Changing From Within**

 _Chapter Nine_

Game Time

It appears coming back from the future has given us an advantage. Whereas we were all able to cast the Impedimenta Jinx first time, it takes the Slytherins a few tries before they are able to produce the same effects. And even then, Crabbe and Goyle only manage to slow a person for about a second.

But, having all semi-successfully cast the spell, we head back around the castle to the tree where we are all to meet. Getting there, we see Fred, George and GLouise have done more than we expected. The amount of Slytherins and Gryffindor's gathered around in little groups has to be at least three quarters of each house. The Hufflepuff contingents is tiny compared to the greens and reds. With only a handful of Ravenclaw's joining.

My idea on having multiple house teams appears to be flowing away down the lake to play with the giant squid – who I am still to lay eyes on. But, the turnout is still bigger than expected, so I head forward to where Fred, George, Adam, Gregor, Steph, Megan and Hannah are standing.

"Where's Katherine?" I ask as soon as I get in line with the others, facing at least half of the school population.

"Still trying to round up more Ravenclaw's," Gregor answers, "She got most of our year to come, she's working on the second years now."

"Oh, well good luck to her." I reply with a shrug off my shoulders.

"Should we just get started?" Steph adds, "I don't like the way that group of Gryffindor's is eyeing the Slytherin's." I look over to where she indicated where a group of sixth year Gryffindor's are eyeing a smaller group of fifth year Slytherin's.

"Good idea." I decide quickly, before turning to the Weasely twins. "You want to head this off? They are more likely to listen to you two than a bunch of first years."

With a nod off acceptance, the twins step forward and, in perfect synchronisation, lift their wands and send red sparks into the air. The large group quiet down, eyeing the twins apprehensively.

"Right, since you are all here,"

"We can take a guess you know the rules for this game," The twins start, various bystanders shake their heads in the positive.

"So we won't waste time,"

"Going over the mundane."

"Only the Impediment jinx is allowed."

"Two teams left standing fight at the end."

"Five hits and you are out."

"Any cheating, and you are,"

"Disqualified." My head hurts from keeping track of their twin speak.

"We will give you ten minutes to prepare."

"Outside only,"

"No bringing the game inside, as,"

"No magic is allowed in the corridors,"

"If you are out, come back here to sit and wait,"

"Or go inside."

"And,"

"Most importantly,"

"Have fun," The twins finish together. They then flap their hands, sending everyone away. I immediately turn to my best friends.

"Team up?" I ask, to which I receive nods in response. To my complete surprise, Daphne, Pansy, Tracy and Millicent come over to us.

"Can we team with you guys?" Tracy asks, fingering her wand as she watches the rest of the school split up into groups and head out, everyone discussing various strategies. To my pleasure, I notice some teams already have multi house people in them. One team in particular, includes two Slytherins, Three Ravenclaw's, a Gryffindor and a Hufflepuff, they are huddled together at the castle doors, talking readily between one another.

"Sure you can," I answer, "The more the merrier."

"So," Hannah voices, "We need a plan."

"We need somewhere with cover, so we can shoot and not be shot back at," I state obviously, but with the amount of groups huddled around the grounds, that doesn't look like it is going to be an easy task.

"What about Hagrid's hut?" Tracy asks, pointing over in the distance where we can see the stone hut slowly smoking. No one is currently visible over there.

"No," Daphne and I answer as one, I gesture for her to continue.

"There is a reason no one is down there," She continues readily, "It is low ground, we would have to shoot up hill, and those coming down would have the advantage over us."

"But we will be hiding behind the hut where we can shoot at anyone coming down, they won't get a clear shot at us." Steph disagrees, I wave over Katherine as I notice her coming back out, A small troop of third year Ravenclaw's behind her who all split off together.

"What happened to the second years?" I ask as she steps up, looking flustered.

"They wanted to stay in and study, the third years over heard me though and decided to join, they've created their own group."

"All right, we're trying to come up with a plan, so as not to get defeated miserably out there, we have just under ten minutes to prepare." Gregor fills her in, I rack my brains, looking around at the overly crowded grounds, trying in vain to come up with a good idea that will not get us knocked out in seconds. I notice the multi group over by the doors glancing over at us.

"Guys," I say slowly, keeping an eye on the group, "I think we might be high targets,"

"Why?" Adam asks, sounding affronted.

"Because we are a group of first years, and there for easy pickings." Daphne answers, "We need to get cover, and soon."

"How about the Womping Willow?" Katherine asks, I turn, seeing the tree looking scarily innocent in the middle of the grounds.

"How is going next to the tree that wants to _kill_ us a good idea?" Pansy voices, looking pale.

"Because no one will want to go over there, we can surround the tree, have vantage points from all directions." Katherine answers steadily. I shrug, we don't seem to be coming up with any other ideas, and that's the only ;legit one we have right now, by the looks of the others, I assume they agree and, as one, we head over to the tree, keeping our wands out as we look for any groups around us.

Arriving at the tree, I turn around to see the mixed group had followed us.

"Guys, group at my two o'clock, they're going to go for us first."

"So we take them out." Gregor, from my immediate right states, "They are, what? Third years?"

"Yeah, either that or fourth years, I recognise the Slytherin on the left, my parents know his parents." Pansy agrees from my left.

"Anyone behind look especially interested in us?" I call out, we are each about two metres from each other, ensuring we are far enough from the tree so as not to get attacked from it, but also close enough to help each other if needed.

"No, there is a group of Gryffindor's eyeing a group of Slytherin's though, I think they'll be occupied enough for a while." Adam answers, I nod my head in acceptance, despite knowing he can't see me.

In the distance, a resounding bang is heard.

The game has begun.

As I had expected, the mixed group immediately charge us, for being older and supposedly wiser, they don't appear to have a good strategy other than charge and fire.

Gregor, Pansy, Millicent, Katherine and I reply in kind.

"Impedimenta," I call out, aiming at the Hufflepuff, I miss by fractions, but the turquoise light is close enough to give her pause. I take advantage and fire again, hitting her successfully.

Before being able to celebrate, a curse from the Gryffindor almost hits me, I drop to my knees, firing off another curse at him in retaliation, he jumps to the side to avoid the light, knocking the Blonde Ravenclaw off his feet as they skid into one another.

Gregor's hit gets the Ravenclaw who freezes where he is lying. Pansy hits the Gryffindor. My first hit, the female Hufflepuff, has unfrozen and is aiming at me again, firing the jinx off repeatedly. I roll to the side, missing one, then leap back, too close to the tree.

Hearing the swishing behind me, I quickly leap forward, directly into a beam of Turquoise light.

Maybe Standing next to the tree wasn't such a good idea. The older students' spells being much stronger than what we can do, instead of being stuck in slow motion, I am frozen solid, watching the light show around me as I await my freedom. Someone from my left hits the Hufflepuff that got me, she goes into slow motion again, for the second time.

The second Slytherin and other two Ravenclaw's are faring much better, successfully dodging our spells and sending out chains of their own.

The first Slytherin unfreezes, seconds later, the Gryffindor he had been trying to push off him, also unfreezes, they hit back with vengeance.

I unfreeze in time to push Gregor out of the way of another spell, watching as the spell hits the tree behind us. I send out another spell, hitting the same Hufflepuff for the third time.

"Two more hits on the 'puff," I call out, whilst rolling out of the way of another spell, "And she's out." In reply, my friends' spells all focus on the just unfreezing Hufflepuff, who freezes again.

The others in her team, however, take advantage. I watch as both Gregor and Katherine are frozen.

"This isn't looking good," I call out as I hit the Hufflepuff for the final time. Through her slow movement, I can easily see her disappointment at being out, but, when she frees from the spell, she immediately turns and heads back to the tree where I can already see other students sitting, talking.

My distraction costs me and I am it again, this time by the Slytherin. Two strikes, and only one member of the other team are down. We are going to lose.

With that depressing thought, I feel myself able to move again and quickly dodge a third light. Next to me, Millicent is hit, falling over from her crouch as she freezes. I send another Impediment jinx out, hitting the Gryffindor on the hand, but the hit is enough and he switches to slow motion, behind the recently slowed down Gryffindor, The other Ravenclaw's have been frozen by twin hits by Gregor and Katherine.

The Slytherin', standing directly behind the Ravenclaw's quickly take advantage, getting Katherine, Gregor and Tracy in one sitting. I briefly wonder how the others are doing, but my distraction can't hold me for long as the two Ravenclaw's come back too, I notice the Gryffindor getting hit again as I dodge a spell from the Slytherins, aiming one of my own at one of the Ravenclaw's.

It misses, but catches the unsuspecting Slytherin instead. As I duck from another spell, Steph walks from behind the tree, heading straight over to the tree. We have lost one of our own.

I can't afford to dwell as I am almost hit by another spell from the recently unfrozen Slytherin. I watch as Katherine is hit again and send out a stream of spells, aiming wildly. My wild hitting is successful, the streams of light hitting both Ravenclaw's and the Gryffindor.

With only one Ravenclaw and two Slytherin's left standing, Gregor, Katherine, Pansy, Tracy, Millicent and I take advantage. Sending out the spells simultaneously. The three remaining are frozen.

"Keep hitting them," Gregor orders, don't let them get free,"

The Two Ravenclaw's and Gryffindor try and swerve out of the way as soon as they come back too, but with six of us firing, it's an easy win from there on out. We don't allow the other team the chance to recover. Successfully finishing the five needed hits to get them out of the game.

They all head over to the tree, taking the loss surprisingly well. Having defeated our side, we turn to the other side of the tree to see how Hannah, Megan, Adam and Daphne are faring.

Not too well we find out. The large group of Gryffindor's have successfully over run the Slytherin's and have turned to our friends, who are standing in a wide 'v' in an attempt to protect each other.

Ten Gryffindor's against ten of us. Seems fair.

"How are you coping? Who's all been hit?" Gregor asks as we join the V, firing off spells.

"I have one hit left," Hannah pants, dodging out of the way of another spell. 2They haven't managed to hit Adam or Tracy. I think Megan has been hit three times."

"Right, you and Megan get behind." I order, "Pansy hasn't been hit yet – IMPEDIMENTA!" I cut myself off, successfully hitting a small, Gryffindor who had almost caught me. "Gregor, Katherine and I have been hit twi-"Katherine gets hit, freezing in her almost crouched position. "Gregor and I have been hit twice," I repeat, "Katherine three times."

"We've hit each of them at least once," Daphne calls over, having been listening in, "That small one you hit, that was her third, I've caught her twice already."

"Adam, Daphne and Pansy," Millicent orders, dodging from a hit, "Aim for that girl. If we get one of them out, we can start to outnumber them."

"Everyone else, focus on a specific target," Adam continues, shooting off another spell. I dodge from a close one, diving to the side to avoid a second. I quickly return fire, getting a muscly guy on his leg.

"If you see someone frozen," Katherine adds, "Hit them immediately when they unfreeze."

I watch as the small girl is hit for a fourth time. Her teammates, noticing our focused fire, surround her, hiding her behind their bodies as they continue firing into our midst. Pansy, Katherine and Millicent are hit.

I push Hannah out of the way of a hit, sending one out, and catching the beefy guy again, just as a spell hits me. I fall to the grass, effectively bruising my chin as my frozen limbs are unable to protect me from the fall. The beefy guy unfreezes just before me and starts walking forward, glaring at me.

 _I got him!_ I realise, watching as the small girl is hit again, Gregor taking advantage of the gap the beefy guy made. She pouts and leaves.

They are now down eight to ten. My ability to move returns and, staying low, only moving my wand, I send a spell out between Adams legs, watching as the low flying spell hits another Gryff on the legs, the legs movements slow dramatically as I send another spell to another pair of legs.

Above me, Adam freezes, one foot hovering in the air. I continue my new strategy, watching as the first pair of legs I hit freeze again. Our strategy is working.

As Adam unfreezes, he dodges another spell which hits me in the back, causing my movements to freeze again. _Damnit, that's four hits._

I watch helplessly as Hannah is hit again, for the fifth and final time. As she unfreezes, two more Gryffindor's walk forward, wands down. We lost one, but they lost another two. Nine verses five.

As I continue to send spells out, Katherine and Megan get hit again. Bringing both up to four hits along with me. I doge another, low spell, jumping out of the way, then leap to the side to avoid another, which hits Pansy instead.

Being three down, its six verses six until they unfreeze. Daphne seems to be making up for it by sending a near constant stream of turquoise out, successfully hitting three of the Gryffindor's. I send out a spell, sending a fourth one down. With two left standing, Adam and Daphne quickly dispose of them.

Upon unfreezing, we stick to the strategy that worked with the mixed group, not allowing them the chance to hit back. Soon enough, the Gryffindor's have lost.

We have won two rounds, lost two of our own and have three critically dangerous people.

We are not prepared for the sudden ambush by the Gryffindor Quidditch team who had been hiding out behind that group. I am quickly taken down by a twin casting, two spells hitting me at once. Beside me, Daphne is finally hit for the first time. The team have been watching and learning, however, as before I am able to think about moving to go join Steph and Hannah, I am hit again. Five times consecutively, I am hit, As well as my friends.

Within a minute of destroying the Gryffindor's we are destroyed by another set of Gryffindor's.

Finally being allowed to unfreeze, we troop back to the tree where a considerably larger amount of students are milling about, talking amongst themselves. As we reach them, The Gryffindor's we had just faced come up to us, hands out.

"Well done," The small Gryffindor says happily, "You did well, for a bunch of first years."

"Madame Pomfrey Is not going to enjoy this game, at all." The beefy guy continues, shaking my hand, his voice is low and rough. "Sorry about the chin, that looked painful."

"It's just a bruise," I shrug, "I've had worse."

"Never mind the bruises," He adds, "How are you lot still moving? You should be suffering some serious magical exhaustion after the amount of power that took."

An older Ravenclaw, lying on the ground near us, sits up and turns to us. "Agreed," She adds in, "That's how we got rid of the other first years so quick, The Impedimenta jinx is a fourth year spell, how you all managed to cast it non-stop near enough, as well as dodging, that's some powerful magic you have."

Magical Exhaustion? Huh? What is that? I feel exhausted, with all the jumping a dodging… what's magical exhaustion? Thankfully, Steph asks the question for me.

"Every Witch and Wizard has a set amount of magic in them, by training and practicing, you can extend the amount of magic you have, much like your stamina," The Ravenclaw answers matter-of-factly, "but if you use too much of your magical reserves, you can get what is called magical exhaustion."

"So, if we use too much at once," I summarize, "Then you become exhausted?" Both the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw nod in agreement. "Well how do you know if you are experiencing magical exhaustion? What's the difference between that and general exhaustion?"

"Magical exhaustion can cause the witch or wizard to be in a state of collapse and may cause them to stay unconscious for a day or so," The Ravenclaw answers readily, "but, although you are all tired, that's just strain, you are not nearly as exhausted as the other firsties." At this, she points to the tree, where I can see many of the students in our year collapsed against the tree, almost passed out, panting heavily.

Although I feel exhausted, I don't feel that bad. It could be something to do with being sent back to a younger body, but Daphne, Tracy, Pansy and Millicent don't look nearly as tired, and from what I saw, Daphne was casting a lot more frequently than we were.

Another large group of wizards wander over to the tree, looking disgruntled. By the size of the population, I take a guess it is the last remaining group, and, judging the triumphant grins from the emerging Gryffindor Quidditch team, I am right.

"Those cheating scumbags," The Ravenclaw growls, glaring at the cheering Gryffindor's making their way over, "They waited until a group was almost destroyed, then moved in, picking off whoever was left."

"I take it that's what happened to you?" I ask, laughing slightly at her glare.

"Yes, and to you lot, we saw them moving in as you were going for the Gryff's," She answers.

"Well, they did win fair and square," Gregor announces, "Even if they were using Slytherin methods to do so."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I immediately ask, narrowing my eyes at Gregor who just smirks.

"Looks like we have a fair winner," The Ravenclaw calls out, everyone turns to look at the approaching team, many glaring at them in hatred.

"And I'm happy to see, everyone played to the rules, who would be up for doing this again? Maybe with more advanced spell work?"  
Many of the watchers nod and cheer they're approval, causing me to grin widely at the success.

Just as I was getting ready to applaud, a stern, Scottish, female voice travelled through the grounds, sounding non to happy.

"What is going on here?" We turn as one to see one very angry looking Professor McGonagall marching across the grounds. "Students fighting all around the school grounds? What is going on here?"

I am pushed forward by my friends, the Ravenclaw, who had been next to me, steps back, leaving me to deal with the angry Deputy Headmistress.


	10. Chapter 10 - Issues

**Changing From Within**

Chapter Ten

 _Issues_

"Before you get mad," I quickly say, facing the Deputy Headmistress head on, the rest of the school being wooses behind me, "Notice the inter house unity that's happening right now!" McGonagall's frown doesn't vanish like I had hoped, instead it deepens.

"What I saw," She states slowly, "is students firing spells at each other,"

"It was a game!" I inform her, glancing back in the hopes of someone coming to help, but no luck. "There was no danger, we only cast the Impedimenta jinx, as you would have saw, only that jinx was cast."

"No magic is allowed-" McGonagall begins, but I quickly cut her off, smirking at the large loophole she just dug up.

"In the hallways, we are outside, not in the halls." McGonagall opens and closes her mouth wordlessly, worried she may end up giving me detention, I quickly try and console her. "What if we make a club out of it?" I ask, "Like a duelling club?"

"Yeah, and it can be supervised as well," Gregor adds, stepping forward to stand next to me.

"And at the end of the month we can have tournaments to see who is the best," The Ravenclaw adds, I turn to look at her, realising I have no idea what her name is.

"We can't allow-" McGonagall tries again, but more people are looking up to the idea, adding their own inputs.

"It's a great way to test how everyone is doing in classes," A male voice calls from the centre of the crowd.

"And it will increase our studying habits," Another voice adds, I take a rough guess it comes from a Ravenclaw.

"Yeah, as we will be studying spells to try and win." Someone else shouts.

"Maybe we can have, like we had today, house teams, where the best team can win."

"No, what about interhouse teams?" I grin in triumph at the last shout-out. It hadn't come from my circle of friends. In less than two days, we have managed to create a group of people that want to work together. All it took was a little push.

McGonagall seems to be debating now. Finally, after another round of suggestions, she holds up her hand, we all fall silent at once.

"I will have to ask the Headmaster about this. Who came up with the idea originally?" Gregor, Adam, Steph, the Weasely twins and I step forward. "Come with me."

Without another glance back, McGonagall turns on her heels and heads back into the castle. We glance at each other, wide eyed but follow after her, the large group behind us still standing in complete silence, watching our march back into the castle.

For the second time since arriving at Hogwarts, I find myself back in Dumbledore's office, this time with more people and actually on my own choices. I refuse to make eye contact with the Headmaster as we file in behind his Deputy.

"Dumbledore, these six have an idea they would like to propose." Dumbledore frowns but nods his head, looking at us over his half-moon spectacles and gesturing for us to go on. A nudge at my back informs me I am the one to speak, yet again. I cast a quick glare back at Steph but step forward and briefly explain the beginning of our idea to the manipulative old man.

Once my long winded explanation is through, Dumbledore steeples his hands under his chin, looking between us all.

"Who do you propose would be in charge of this duelling club?" He asks, looking directly at me.

"I wouldn't want to take up any teacher's time," I start, keeping my eyes fixed just above Dumbledore's sparkling blue eyes, "So probably some willing seventh years?"

"If you can find an appropriate room, and some willing seventh years, I think we could allow this Duelling club to go ahead."

"Really" Steph asks as a huge grin spreads across our faces.

"I don't see why not, as house unity is always a good goal to have." Dumbledore replies, smiling benignly over his hands.

"Thank you, Headmaster Dumbledore, sir," The twins say together, grinning excitedly.

"I would like you to send me a letter of who will be in charge and where and when this club will be taking place." He adds, grinning widely, we nod in agreement and head back out of the office, already planning our ideas before we even leave.

"We should have someone from each house in charge," I propose just as the door shuts, the Weasely twins eye me warily. "We have someone in each house," I quickly add, "so we can easily scope around for anyone that looks good. Plus, with an instructor from each house, it will be fair and there will be no arguments about favouritism."

"As much as I hate to say it," Gregor adds, stepping off the spiralling staircase and turning to smirk at me, "I agree with Louise." I narrow my eyes at his obvious ploy but accept his agreement.

"Fair enough," One of the twins nods.

"We can get a Gryffindor,"

"Along with Steph here,"

"But what to tell them?" The second twin finishes, looking at me. I frown slightly at them being so accepting of me – the Slytherin.

"That we will meet up tomorrow afternoon outside the Great Hall, just after lunch."

"Will we have all found someone by then?" Steph asks, speaking up for the first time since leaving for Dumbledore's office.

"Good point," Gregor nods, "How about a week from now? Next Saturday after breakfast? It will give us all plenty of time to find someone and spread the idea around."

Finding nothing against that plan, we shrug and accept the deadline. The twins wave goodbye and head off soon after, up to something no doubt. After their retreat, we head back outside where Hannah, Megan, Katherine and Adam are still sitting by the tree, waiting on us.

Seeing no one else about, and my mind still on the Weasely twins, I decide to voice my awesome idea from after Defence yesterday.

"You know guys," I start, keeping my face blank with great difficulty.

"What?" I turn to Adam innocently, he narrows his eyes, looking me up and down suspiciously.

"I had a great idea yesterday."

"Jeesh Louise," Adam rolls his eyes, "we haven't even been here a day and your already plotting something."

"Please don't involve getting us expelled," Megan pleads, looking up from her book.

Hannah laughs slightly, "are we gonna regret knowing you?" She asks, grinning.

"I don't want to know." Gregor adds, plonking down on the grass next to Katherine.

"It's not as mad as the paint balling idea, is it?" Hannah adds, I frown at the lack of support my supposed best friends are showing me, my shoulders slumping.

"I'm sure it will be madder than paintballing," Katherine smirks, also siding against me.

"Guys…" I whine, turning my back on them.

"WHAT!?" They all shriek, I turn back to see them glaring at me.

"I'm going to start a prank war with the Weasely twins." I inform them with a grin.

Megan is the first to recover her voice. "Are you NUTS!?" She asks, shaking her head in wonder.

"I told you I didn't want to know..." Gregor states, blinking at me, "now I know. And this is a REALLY bad idea Louise!"

"That's BRILLIANT!" I turn to the sound of support and grin wildly at Hannah.

"Considering I'm the only one in the same house as the twins…" Steph frowns, "Is my piece going to be disturbed at all?"

"Probably." I admit freely.

Steph shrugs, "well, if it's going to disturb me, I may as well help."

"Yippee!" I shout, pumping a fist in the air at having help, "Anyone else?"

"Definitely." Hannah grins, I grin at my success as a tall Slytherin walks up to us.

"Which one of you is Louise Nelson?" He asks, his voice squeakily high, I step forward, craning my head a bit to look at him.

"You mean you don't recognise me?" I pout, "I'm hurt, after all I gave you all an awesome lesson Thursday night." The guy just sniffs, looking everywhere but at me, he holds his hand out, a small parchment is sitting on his palm.

"This is from Professor Quirrel." He says, I take the parchment and walk as he immediately turns and walks away.

"Nice guy." I decide, turning back to my friends and looking down at the parchment in my hand.

 _Miss Nelson,_

 _I am severely disappointed to find you did not go to see Professor McGonagall as I had instructed in class on Friday. As a result, Professor McGonagall has agreed that I should extend your detention. I expect you in my classroom directly after Dinner tonight to serve the first of your two detentions with me._

 _Professor. Q. Quirrel._

I feel the blood drain from my face as I read the letter, my hands shake slightly as Megan gets up, asking me what is wrong. At my lack of reply, she moves forward and reads the letter over my shoulder.

"It's just a detention," Megan states, looking up from the letter. I look back at her, suddenly struck by how different we all look, seven years younger than we were four days ago. Megan alone has already hit puberty – _not fair, why is she not flat chested?_ I quickly shake my head from the stupid thoughts and turn to the matter at hand.

" _I have two detentions with Voldemort."_ I state, collapsing onto the ground as the others look at me.

"What did you do?" Adam asks, I can tell he's trying to fight a smirk.

"I told you yesterday, I complained about the smell of the class, and then I didn't go to McGonagall's when he told me to."

"Well then, it's your own fault you have detention, isn't it?" Gregor shrugs, I look up glaring at him.

"You know what I'm like!" I snarl, "I can't keep my mouth shut to save my life!"

"Well you shouldn't be in Slytherin," he adds, "That sounds distinctly Gryffindorish to me."

"Oh, and like you're a perfect Ravenclaw," I snark back, irrational fear making me snap at my brother by all but blood.

"I'll have you know-" Gregor begins, but I quickly interrupt.

"The sorting hat wasn't immediate on you," I smirk, "there was another option, so what was it?"

"I don't have to tell you." Gregor snaps back, glaring at me, I smirk in triumph.

"You just did."

"Louise!" Steph snaps from the ground, "calm down."

"And why should I?" I ask, rounding on her, "We've been snatched from our homes, our families, and plonked in some make believe world where we may never see them again. Tell me why I shouldn't be mad?"

"She's not saying that," Megan adds, sitting on the grass next to me.

"You sure?" I ask, turning my glare on her, "Telling a person to calm down-"

"Is telling them to stop and think before speaking," Megan informs me calmly, "before you say something you might regret."

"Oh, and you know all about saying things that you'll regret, don't you?" I ask, an old grievance between us springing back to mind. 2At least whatever I say is to your faces – I don't turn and talk behind your backs."

"Louise," Steph starts again, glaring as Megan jerks back, looking pained. "We dealt with that years ago, and we said we were sorry."

"And I'm supposed to believe that? How do I know you aren't still dissing me behind my back? After all, we all know I'm a control freak,"

"Oh and you're so perfect, are you?" Megan snaps back, turning back to me, eyes blazing.

"When did I say I was perfect!?" I scream, fists clenched as my body tenses in anger.

"Oh no, it's always us you find fault in, it's never yourself, is it?" Megan shouts back, just as riled up as I am.

"I'm sorry," I say sweetly, "I didn't realise you were death." At Megan's confusion, I roll my eyes, "I said, and I quote, 'we all know I'm a control freak,'"

"Louise," Katherine adds, eyes wide as she watches me. "You need to take a step back, and think."

"And what do you know?" I snarl, "You're only friends with me because Sandra left college. Before she left it was her you were friends with. I'm just the outsider, and since no one else would accept you, you turned to me." I see hurt in Katherine's eyes as she turns from me, her breathe hitching, I feel a one sided smirk appearing on my face.

"Louise!" Adam shouts, at the same time as Steph and Megan go over to comfort Katherine. "There was no need to say that."

I blink. The self-satisfied smirk vanishing as I notice Katherine crying, shrugging Megan and Hannah away from her.

 _What have I done?_ "Katherine…" I ask, crawling over to where she is, but Megan turns and sends a glare my way. I'm struck by the defensiveness. They had never actually met Katherine before this, and yet they are defending her already – I suppose I understand why she was put in Hufflepuff instead of Ravenclaw.

"Stay away, Louise," Megan warns, "You've done enough damage." Katherine refuses to turn, keeping her back to me.

"I- I'm so sorry," I inform them morosely, keeping my eyes down as I head voer to the tree and pick up my bag, "I don't know what came over me- I-"

"Louise, just go." Hannah tells me, I sigh and do as they ask, getting up and walking back into the castle. The previous burn from irrational anger vanishes, instead turning to a blank emptiness.

I have most likely severely damaged my relationships with my friends. At a time when we should be sticking closer together, all because I couldn't keep a hold on my god damned anger.

Storming through the castle, most people keep a wide berth of the raging first year Slytherin, allowing me to wander the castle uninterrupted.

That is, until I hear a stuck up, ponsy voice around the corner naming somebody a useless Squib. Rounding the corner, I see a scene I had half been expecting but was hoping wasn't true. Draco Malfoy, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle are surrounding a whimpering Neville Longbottom.

"What's going on here?" I ask, stepping around, into full view, my wand in my hand.

"Teaching this Squib a lesson." Draco smirks casually, "What are you going to do about it, Nelson?"

"That's funny," I start slowly, taking a further step, eyes narrowed dangerously, in my hand, my wand starts shooting red sparks. "Last I checked, a squib couldn't get into Hogwarts."

"Exactly what we are teaching him," Draco grins, "Care to join us?"

"So, if a squib cannot be allowed on Hogwarts grounds, how exactly is Neville here, on Hogwarts grounds?" They don't answer, Neville is looking past the bulky frame of Crabbe, watching me nervously. "Because, Malfoy, he is not a squib."

"He can barely perform any magic."

"Barely." I quickly latch on, "But he can perform magic."

"An almost squib is as bad as a full squib."

"Tell me something, Draco, did your Father teach you some magic before you came here?"

"Of course he did," Draco answers, falling right into my trap.

"Do you know who Neville Longbottom has grown up with?" I continue.

"Lady Augusta Longbottom." Draco's goons are looking suitably confused.

"Have you ever met Lady Augusta Longbottom?" I continue to question, not entirely sure where I am heading with my line of questioning.

"Yes. Twice."

"And did she seems particularly pleasant to you?"

"No." Draco glares at me, seemingly fed up with me.

"Well then, how would you feel if you were brought up with Augusta Longbottom as a guardian? I seriously doubt she took time to teach Neville how to use his magic like your parents did you. And talking about parents," I add, sending an apologetic look Neville's way, "Neville experienced an extremely horrific thing when he was a baby. And things like that can severely dampen a child's growth, especially their magical growth." Okay, now I'm just making things up – but it sounds good. "Plus the fact he is holding a wand that did not choose him."

"And what does that matter?" Draco asks, "Mind your own business, Louise, before you end up on the wrong end of my wand."

"Codswallop." I stare blankly at him, "I am not afraid of pathetic bullies like you."

"You will regret that-"

"Will I? Were you listening to the prefect's speech Thursday night? We are a well-respected house-"

"Yes, weren't you listening, she also mentioned the power of having someone cower below you, and I happened to agree with her."

"What? By picking on someone who can't fight back? Look at me! The great Draco Malfoy, I can make a traumatized boy cower before me." I mock, "Yeah, oh so powerful Draco, show me what you've got." Draco motions to Crabbe and Goyle to back up, moving away with them.

"Just you wait, Nelson, you will regret that." With the last, clichéd words, Draco turns and leaves the corridor, leaving me with Neville. I look at the boy, wondering how exactly I am going to proceed.

"T-Thank you," Neville starts for me, pushing away from the wall with a trembling arm.

"It's all right," I smile, deciding I am going to help him become the man he is to be. "You know I was making up half the stuff I said?" I ask, a plan forming.

"Y-You were? But what you said it-"

"All scarily true?" I ask, he nods silently. "Yeah, I have a knack for that. But the wand? Was I right about that too?"

"Yes, it's my dad's wand." Neville tells me, lifting it up, his round face twisted in an unreadable expression.

"You really need to get a wand that chooses you, Neville, that wand will just be hampering your magic."

"What can I do about it? My gran told me to use this wand."

"Well your gran is going to get a stern talking to," I inform Neville, "Come with me, we are going to make sure you get a proper wand."

I spin on my heel, placing my wand on the flat of my palm and casting the Point Me charm, with McGonagall in mind.

Neville and I traverse the hallways uninterrupted and silently, my wand stopping us outside the staff room door.

Talking a deep breathe, I knock on the door, after some shuffling and muffled noises, Professor Minerva McGonagall answers the door, taking a slight step back at seeing a Gryffindor and Slytherin together.

"Yes?" She asks, tone clipped.

"I just stopped an altercation between Neville here and Draco Malfoy," I start, McGonagall's brow furrows as she listens. "And something came to light. Neville does not have a wand that chose him." I say, McGonagall turns to Neville.

"Is this true?" She asks, Neville gulps, but nods in response. "And why did Augusta allow you to come to school without your own wand." McGonagall continues, her stern glare switched from me to the shaking boy behind me.

"Because it's my father's wand, Professor." McGonagall freezes for a couple seconds, her eyes getting oddly shiny.

"Just wait till I have a word with her," She adds, sniffing. "Come see me tomorrow morning in my office Neville, we will take you to get a proper wand."

"Thank you, Professor," Neville smiles, looking brighter than before.

"What's your name?" McGonagall asks, turning to me.

"Louise Nelson, miss." I answer.

"Twenty points to Slytherin for your kindness towards another student." She informs me, I grin wildly at having received my first points of the year, and they are a lot of points.


	11. Chapter 11 - Advantages

**Changing From Within**

Chapter Eleven

 _Advantages_

The rest of Saturday passed in a blur. I went back to the Slytherin common room after seeing Neville off back to his dorm. Once back down stairs, outside the Great Hall, I had debated for a couple minutes whether or not I should go find Katherine, Megan and Gregor, to apologize to them. But, knowing how badly I must have hurt them, I change my mind, instead making my way back to Slytherin dormitories. With the evil snakes, the villains. Where I belong.

That night, by some miracle I remember I have Detention with Quirrelmort and head out, waving my goodbyes to Daphne, Tracy, Millicent and Pansy as soon as I finish my food.

Once I reach the door to Quirrel's classroom, I stand outside for a few seconds, attempting to calm my heart before taking a large breathe of clean, unpolluted air and holding it.

I raise my fist and knock on the door of doom four times.

"C-c-come in," The annoying fake stutter drifts out through the door. I groan before opening and stepping in.

"Professor," I say as I step into the stinkfest, wincing at the absurdly strong scent of garlic, positive it is more potent than it was before.

"Miss Nelson, t-take a seat." I glare at the teacher, the image of Voldemort on the back of his head burning into my retinas. My anger boils for the second time today, _how could Dumbledore be so stupid as to allow this-this_ _ **prat**_ _into the school_?

"I said, take a seat" Quirrel says, his voice turning sharp, but I catch the lack of a stutter and smirk.

"You can cut the act," I tell him simply.

"I-I d-don't know what you mean" he stutters back, I roll my eyes.

"I have a strange talent on knowing when someone is lying to me, and my spider senses have been tingling since the first time you spoke." I say, my eyes narrowed.

"It appears you do have a brain in there after all," Quirrel replies, thankfully cutting the stuttering act, I take a step back, surprised at how easily he decides to give himself up.

"Why the act?" I ask him, "Remember my senses before you answer." I may as well push my luck before he comes back to his sense. Instead of answering, his face turns red and he stands up, pointing his wand at me which starts to spit out green sparks. "Bad idea sir, my friends and the headmaster all know where I am. You will immediately be under suspicion if I suddenly disappear."

"No one would suspect me if I tell them you never arrived in the class in the first place," he answers. I gulp loudly, _I hadn't thought of that._

"Steph walked with me here, she watched me enter." I lie quickly. He narrows his eyes, unsure on whether or not to call my bluff.

"Funny, it looked like you were not on speaking terms at dinner." He informs me, I curse mentally. I had hoped he hadn't noticed that. But I suppose, being the only person to go to the other tables, it would be noticed when I suddenly don't.

"They still know where I am. And thy will inform someone if I don't reappear tomorrow." I quickly inform him, holding my breath as I reach into my pocket, grasping my wand.

"My reasons are for me to know." He tells me, "now sit down, you still have a detention to complete."

"Sure about that?" I ask him.

"Stupefy!" A jet of red light shoots towards me and with a gasp, I dive to the floor, the spell crashes into the wall behind me.

"Watch it!" I exclaim as I nervously raise my head, peeking over the desk at the deranged teacher.

"Sit down and complete your detention or you will never see the light of day again." He snarls at me, with a short nod, I decide to take a seat and stop provoking the guy.

"You will write _'I will not disrespect a teacher,"_ until I tell you to stop." He tells me. With a glare, I get my quill out of my pocket and begin to write, dipping into ink every so often.

By the twentieth line, my arm begins to ache, but I carry on, slightly changing the working to _"I_ _will disrespect a teacher,"_

By the fiftieth line, the wording seems to have changed again, this time to " _Quirrel is worthy of disrespecting."_

This line carried on until somewhere in the mid hundreds where it found itself, once again, changed to " _Quirrel is a weak fraud, worse than Lockhart,"_ due to the length of the line however, it quickly got changed yet again to " _Respect is earned."_

Sometime after that, Quirrel tells me I can go, asking me to hand the paper in. I chuck it towards him and run out the door before he can say anything to me about it.

Getting back to the dorm, I go straight to bed, nursing my aching arm, after saying a quiet goodnight to the girls – Pansy being oddly quiet, I close my curtains and fall asleep fast.

*S*L*Y*T*H*E*R*I*N*

Having made my excuses Sunday morning after breakfast, Tracy heads outside with the girls whilst I retreat back to our Dorms. The Common room is mostly empty, with just four Slytherins within, an older couple, snuggling in the corner and two boys, sitting close to one another whispering over some book. I take the chance to properly have a look at my common room, my home for the next seven years.

The Common room is very dungeon like, will large, black, rectangular stones making the walls, on which are several tapestries of famous Slytherin's, many of which are currently out of their portraits. The only one still in, is a young looking, red haired man, reading a book on his high backed red chair. The windows on the other end of the room show the green tinged lake, where, from the other end of the room, I can see oddly shaped fish swimming around. The green tinge from the lake extends into the room, giving it an eerie green look. The common room has lots of low backed black and dark green button-tufted, leather sofas; of which the two kissing students are sitting on the one next to the large, impressive fire place; skull lights on the walls; and dark wood cupboards. I have to admit there is quite a grand atmosphere, but the green glow leaves it cold, not a place I would ever find comfort.

Turning from the entrance, I head over to a large bookcase on the wall to my right, flicking through the not so light tomes to find some interesting reading. Finding an interesting looking tome – _Warding off Intruders,'_ I take it and head down to my dorm.

Finding it thankfully empty, I settle on my bed, book in hand and begin to read, taking a parchment from my bag before I do, so as I can take some notes.

By the time I finish my reading, I have found only one usable spell, which will not harm the others if they do decide to come to my things, but pass a warning, and possibly a stinging jinx. _Cave inimicum_ I quickly cast it over my bed, watching as a slight haze appears over my bed before vanishing into nothingness. Feeling accomplished, I head back out, towards lunch.

Seeing Daphne and Tracy already eating, I smile slightly and head towards them, keeping my gaze deliberately away from the other three tables. Racy glances up from her sandwich as I take the seat next to her. She greets me with a smile as Daphne nods steadily.

"What did the Headmaster say?" Daphne asks, having finished her lunch and apparently waiting on Daphne. I grab a random sandwich and settle down, taking a satisfying bite before answering the patiently waiting Daphne's question.

"He says we are to come up with four seventh years who are to lead the group. A leader from each house. We have until next weekend to decide who and tell Dumbledore who will set it up with them." I inform her, merging most of what we decided ourselves with Dumbledore's ideas.

"What's wrong with you and your friends?" Tracy butts in, glancing up to the other tables, which I had been steadfastly ignoring.

"What do you mean?" I immediately deny, looking over to Tracy with a slight glare.

"You haven't spoken to them at all since yesterday, and the Hufflepuff is sending a glare your way." I quickly flick my eyes over to see Megan is in fact glaring slightly at me, more of annoyance than outright anger, I am relieved to see.

"We got in a bit of a spat yesterday." I say, tone clipped as I attempt to avoid the topic. Thankfully, Daphne does change it, but to a topic I wished to discuss.

"What about Draco? He was cursing your name last night in the dorms." She informs me, I groan, shaking my head in defeat.

"I found him bullying someone yesterday and stepped in to put a stop to it." I grind out, annoyed at having to admit all my failing of the previous day.

"Who?" Tracy immediately asks, reaching out for another sandwich. I wait until the group of fourth year Slytherin's wander past us, chatting noisily.

"Neville Longbottom." I inform them, leaning slightly closer so we can still hear each other over the increasing noise in the Great Hall.

"Why'd you stop him?" Daphne asks, I turn to her with a glare, but instead of the disgust I had expected, she looks honestly curious.

"One, because I can't stand bullies," I inform her instantly, guilt making my stomach clench as the urge to go over and plead mercy from my friends briefly takes over my thoughts. "Two, because Neville isn't a very fair target."

"How come?" Tracy asks, "He's not exactly the most powerful Pureblood."

"What have I said about naming peoples blood?" I frown at her, she smiles a quick sorry but gestures for me to continue. "Because it isn't exactly upholding the Malfoy name, is it? Picking on someone who isn't as strong as you. It doesn't show you as a powerful person. It shows you are weak and insecure. So much so, that you have to prove yourself by picking on the weakest person you can find."

"I don't think Malfoy took it as you protecting his image," Daphne informs me, "He felt you have personally insulted the Malfoy and Slytherin name by sticking up for a Gryffindor."

I roll my eyes at the supposed politics of Slytherin house, Adam would have handled this a lot better than me. I go by my emotions, not by image. "He is a spoilt brat that needs to learn the whole world doesn't bend to his own will." Tracy spits out, I raise an eyebrow, laughing slightly at the unexpected outburst from the girl. "What?" She asks, looking between us, her face pinking slightly. "It's true. He could do with being brought down a few pegs."

"What?" She asks, looking between us, her face pinking slightly. "It's true. He could do with being brought down a few pegs."

"I'm not disagreeing with you," I quickly comfort her, "that's just not something I would have expected you to say, it's more my style."

"If Draco hears you say something like that," Daphne adds in a hushed whisper, "He'll destroy you both!"

"Pah," I snort, "Like I'm scared of some snot faced eleven year old kid."

"It's not him you should be worried about," Daphne continues, quickly glancing around even though no one is near us, "It's his father. Lucius Malfoy is a powerful man."

"A powerful Death slave you mean." I smirk, laughing at the incredulous look Daphne gives me.

"That has not been proven, and you would do well not to mention it again." She hisses. She spends the rest of lunch in silence, refusing to acknowledge Pansy and I as we continue to insult the others in our house. When we finally finish our lunch, Daphne makes her excuses and leaves us, heading outside whilst Pansy and I make our way back to the Slytherin Common room, planning on getting our homework complete for the week ahead.

After dinner, much like yesterday, I head straight to Quirrel's office for my second detention. Shaking slightly, I knock on the door, this time he doesn't say anything, just points to a desk at the back of the class where a sheet of paper is sitting. I go over to it and see it is another set of lines. Groaning at the pain my arm is going to be in, I silently get to work, only removing my eyes from the parchment when he dismisses me.

*S*L*Y*T*H*E*R*I*N*

Come Monday morning, I had still not spoken to any of my friends, instead hiding in Slytherin, getting closer to Tracy and Millicent. Pansy had decided to ignore me after hearing how I went against Draco Malfoy, whereas Daphne has gone back to the cold shoulder, seemingly not forgiven us for our sinish talking yesterday.

It looks like my plan of ignoring them is going to fail miserably, however, as when I check my timetable to see what I have in the morning, I see I have Potions with Steph and the Gryffindor's first, and then Herbology with Adam, Gregor and Katherine and the Ravenclaw's right after. Deciding to get it over with, I finish my breakfast quickly and head back down to the dungeons, this time to Snape's classroom, alone.

It seems Steph had the same idea. She is already sitting in the chairs we chose on Friday morning.

"Hi," She says as I reluctantly put my bag on the table next to her.

"Hey," I reply, smiling slightly as I take my seat.

"Katherine isn't mad at you," She tells me, I turn to look at her, she understands the silent message and carries on. "She understands you were worried about your detention and missing home, we are as well."

"But with what I said, even to you I am so-" Steph cuts me off, leaning over and pulling me into a hug, I smile, clutching one of my best friends tight, taking solace in the peace of having my friends back. "Gregor?" I ask as we pull away.

"You know what he's like," Steph laughs, "He's just mad that you reminded him he almost got put in Hufflepuff."

"What's wrong with Hufflepuff?" I ask, glancing up as the rest of the class begins to trickle in. Tracy grins at seeing me talking happily to Steph and takes her seat next to the still huffing Daphne.

"He's a Ravenclaw, and it doesn't matter what the hat says, it's a stupid hat," Steph tells me, I laugh at the accuracy of what Gregor would say.

"He needs to learn knowledge isn't everything," I state, shaking my head, "Perhaps Hufflepuff would have been good for him."

"You're kidding, right?" Steph asks, eyebrows raised, "He would have literally blown something up in his refusal."

"Perhaps…" I agree nodding, then I smirk, "But it would certainly have been amusing!"

Snape comes billowing in the classroom, shutting the door behind him with a sharp snap, effectively cutting off our conversation.

"Settle down," he smirks, walking to the front of the class and glaring at us all. That is truly an amazing feat that. To both smirk and glare at the same time. "Today you shall be brewing the Polish potion. Can any of you Dunderheads tell me what it does?"

Hermione slowly raises her hand after seeing no one else had, I put my hand up as well, having read through my potions book last night whilst doing my homework… Dormwork?

"Nobody?" He asks. I glare at him.

"Appears not." He finishes, smirking as he keeps his gaze to the Slytherin side of the room, ignoring me and Hermione on the Gryffindor side.

"Sir, if you would care to use those two black pits you call eyes-" I begin, causing the two holes in question to snap to mine, "then you can see that two people can actually answer your question."

"I did not ask you to speak." He says dangerously. I blink, keeping my face blank. "Twenty points from Slytherin for cheek." He adds. I raise an eyebrow, taking on the challenge. How far will he go for his own house?

"You asked a question, I was going to answer it, you ignored me. You brought it on yourself, sir." I say calmly.

"Detention."

"Another one!? At this rate I'm gonna be worse that the Weasely twins!" I groan, glaring at the man.

"You will learn not to back chat a teacher."

"You should learn to treat people fairly." I answer.

"I think a weeks' worth of detentions will suffice." I open my mouth to reply again but a sharp pain on my leg stops me, I turn my glare on Steph who places a finger to her mouth, shaking her head as she does. I sigh.

"When?"

"My office, 7pm every night this week."

"And where, exactly, is your office? In case you hadn't noticed, we JUST arrived here. And no map was handed out either."

"Two weeks. And another 30 points from Slytherin." I intensify my glare but shut up, noticing with slight fear the glares my housemates are sending me. Suddenly I feel extremely glad Steph is talking to me.

My potion turns out quite well again, it is the correct colour and consistency. Yet Snape just turns his nose up at it. I do notice him handing points out to Draco, Daphne and Blaise however, my fifty lost points switching to just twenty. I have no doubt that twenty will also vanish by the end of his next Slytherin class. I glare at him for the obvious favoritism.

After class finishes, Steph and I fall to the back, I notice Tracy and Millicent heading to the back of the Slytherin line, ready for me to catch up to them.

"Do you have a death wish?" Steph asks as soon as we leave the classroom.

"No! He's a prat." I indignantly reply.

"He is a teacher, and a mean one at that." Steph says, "You need to keep your temper here, especially with Voldy head."

"What did you do this time?" A male voice asks from behind, I turn to see Adam, Gregor and Katherine with the rest of their year right behind us.

"She lost Slytherin 50 points and got two weeks detention." Steph answers for me. I am currently pouting, and unable to reply.

"What did you go do that for?" Adam asks.

"Snape." I answer shortly.

"He's not that hard to handle." Gregor answers, I turn to glare slightly at him, glad the altercation from yesterday seems to have been forgotten.

We pass the stairs and Steph heads up with the Gryffindor's for Charms whilst Gregor, Adam and Katherine move to my side, heading to Herbology with me.

"He's a prat!" I answer, "And the only reason prat is the only word I'm using is because there are a bunch of actual eleven year olds around us."

"Aww is poor bitty Louise not allowed to use her full vocabulary?" Katheirne adds in, I turn to glare at her to find her grinning at me.

"No. And poor bitty Louise is getting extremely peeved off." I answer.

"Do you think Occlumency might help?" Gregor asks quietly, I stop and look at him.

"How would that help? It just shields your mind from someone looking in..."

"I found a book on it last night. You have to declutter your mind. Apparently it helps people relax." He answers. My frown vanishes.

"That would be great! Then we can learn Legilamency and help Harry, instead of getting Snape to do it!"

"Not what I meant!" Gregor groans.

"Can I borrow the book?" I ask just as we reach the greenhouses.

"Sure, I'll give you it after class." Suddenly, despite detention, I'm looking forward to finishing the day.

I turn awkwardly back to Katherine, and, sensing my need, Adam and Gregor speed up, allowing Katherine and I to be alone.

"You used to think I only spoke to you because Sandra left?" She asks, thankfully speaking first, I take a deep breath, understanding I would have to tell her the truth if I want our relationship to continue.

"That was… when I'm feeling particularly upset about something, I start to think stupid, anxious thoughts, and I lash out at people around me. I am so sorry! I usually don't let it go that far."

"I can't believe you thought that," Katherine replies with a disbelieving smile, "You could not have been more wrong!"

"Yeah, I know," I reply, "My stupid brain tried to inform me though. But I don't personally think that, I think of you like a sister, just as I do the others."

"Never think that again," She warns me, I raise an eyebrow, "I love having you as a friend." My chest immediately swells, a full blown smile coming to me for the first time in about two days. I can feel tears burning my eyes at the clear admission Katherine just gave me.

"Thank you," I say, trying and failing to put all my thoughts into those two words, "You have no idea what that means to me." Instead of awaiting another answer, I step forward and take Katherine into my arms, accepting the piece and pure bliss I feel at having her admit she actually likes me as I am.

The insecurities I had always felt, deep in my mind, vanish, replaced with acceptance and glee. I'm not some worthless, too quick to anger, lanky, too thin, girl to her. I am not an annoyance, someone she just puts up with just because. I am her friend.

Herbology passes in a blur, Professor Sprout telling us to look through our books and to name the plants we see around the Greenhouse. We are told to keep up to date with our plants knowledge as she will be handing out random quizzes throughout the year.

As promised, Gregor hands me the book after class, _'A guide to protecting the mind,'_ I place it in my bag, promising to look it over during the week so as to give him it back at the weekend for the Ravenclaw library.

After a quiet lunch, Charms goes smoothly, with the rest of the class, minus Millicent and Daphne glaring daggers at me. But, thankfully, no one steps up to 'teach me a lesson' as I had half expected Malfoy to do. We file down the stairs to Transfiguration after class in an awkward silence, I stay near the back of the class, Allowing Draco and the rest of the still glaring Slytherin's to enter first.

McGonagall quickly set us to work transforming matches into needles.

I, however, get a stubborn match. No matter how many times I point my wand and say the incantation, it will not change.

"Paracu!" I try again, beginning to get frustrated at the stupid thing. Nothing happens. "Paracu!" I try again, this time allowing my anger to reach my voice, the match turns silver, a slight improvement, but is still firmly match shaped.

"Louise, calm down, you'll get it eventually," Tracy says from next to me, her own needle having a sharp end to it.

"Jab your wand with less force," Daphne suggests, her match a perfect needle already.

I point my wand towards the stupid match and jab slightly less sharply, "Paracu!"

The match turns into a needle, just as good as Daphne's yet, at the same time, a crushing sense of weakness washes over me and everything goes black.


	12. Chapter 12 - Death Wish

**Changing from Within**

 _Chapter Twelve_

Death Wish

 _Ow, my head._ Deciding moving will cause the thumping to get worse, I stay exactly how I am. It's a good thing I do, apparently I am being spoken about.

"I don't understand, Albus," the voice is one I haven't heard before, a soft woman's voice, I take a rough guess that it belongs to Madame Pomfrey, the school matron as we both await the Headmasters reply.

"A delayed reaction?" The elderly voice of the headmaster answers, coming from my right, I keep still.

What am I doing in the infirmary?

"There is no such thing as a delayed magical exhaustion, Albus, you know that. She must have done something more recently, and casting repeatedly in class put her over the edge."

Magical exhaustion? What? When? Last I remember, I was in Herbology, I had just made up with Katherine. Did we perform any magic in the greenhouses?

"Couldn't the magic expelled during Saturday's game have depleted her, enough for Transfiguration to push her over the edge?" When did I go to Transfiguration? In my confusion, I forget I am staying still and open my eyes.

Big mistake. They immediately clasp shut again as the bright white of the room I am currently in attack my sensitive eyes.

"White." I groan, rubbing my eyes, "why are hospitals always white?"

"To stop people getting into situations where white hurts." Madame Pomfrey answers, I glare as I hear a smirk in her voice. "Now, that your awake, you can take this."

I reopen my eyes, a lot more cautiously than before, to see her handing a bright yellow potion out to me.

"What is it?" I ask, narrowing my eyes at it suspiciously.

"A magic replenishing potion. Now drink up and then you can tell me why you were brought in here earlier with a severe case of magical exhaustion." Reluctantly, I take the clear cup from her, hold my breath, and drink it down.

"Yuck! Couldn't you have put a mint or something in it?"

"Not exactly the most pleasant of flavors, is it?" I pass the Headmaster a glare for his amused comment.

"Understatement of the century." I snarl back, shuddering as the taste comes back up, almost bringing the liquid with it. Madame Pomfrey coughs impatiently.

"I don't know," I inform her honestly. "I don't remember transfiguration." Pomfrey frowns and points her wand at me, mumbling something I can't quite hear. A blue mist forms around me.

"What is the last thing you remember?" She asks, watching the most intently.

"Herbology. We had to name all the plants."

"And lunch?"

"I-" I close my eyes, thinking back. We must have left Herbology. What did we do? "I think I remember sitting next to Millicent, and Daphne was telling me off for not keeping my image, or something like that." I say slowly as the images make their way out of the painful fog in my head.

"You do not remember Charms or Transfiguration?" Pomfrey asks me, I close my eyes, trying to remember what I did after lunch. "A strong concussion along with the exhaustion," She then diagnoses.

"How?" I ask, "I don't remember feeling at all tired through the day, and I thought magical exhaustion was just like muscle fatigue?"

"It appears," Dumbledore answers for me, "that your body is not yet ready to use your magic to that extent. Did you cast any spells earlier today?"

"Nothing!" I exclaim, getting thoroughly annoyed with my lack of memories. "The last I remember was the jinx I did on my bed last night."

"What jinx was that?" Dumbledore questions, sparkling eyes frowning, trying to work something out, I quickly avert my gaze.

"The Intruder Jinx on my bed." I mumble, keeping my head down, not knowing if they know the rules for Slytherin dorms or not.

"Was it successful?" Dumbledore asks me, his tone slightly higher than before, in anger or surprise, I am uncertain.

"I think so, at least I got the see through haze that vanished after a couple of seconds." I inform him.

"But you're a first year!" Madame Pomfrey objects.

"Did you feel anything afterwards?" Dumbledore asks me, ignoring his medical staff.

"Well I felt a little tired, but that's to be expected, isn't it?" I answer truthfully.

"Madame Pomfrey, could you please do a magic level scan on Miss Nelson?" Dumbledore asks, turning to look at the witch.

"All right..." She says slowly before lifting her wand and pointing it at me. A light blue aura appears around my body, mingled in with greens and purples.

"But- but that's impossible!" Pomfrey gasps as soon as the aura fades.

"What?" I ask, _they know I was a muggle, dear Merlin did it have to get out so easily?_

"You have the magical core of an eighteen year old." Dumbledore explains for me as Madame Pomfrey is currently gaping open mouthed.

"Albus, how is that possible?" Pomfrey gasps out, wide eyes fixed on me.

"More to the point-" I cut in, "if I have a magical core that size, how come I passed out?"

"Your body is not yet able to cope with that amount of power." Madame Pomfrey says.

"So I'm not able to do magic until I'm actually eighteen?" I ask, disappointment beginning to flow in me. _How come the others don't have this problem? Why just me?_

"No no, you can do magic, but you have to train your body first." Dumbledore tells me, my eyes widen, images of the dreaded bleep test at school running threw me, my legs begin to ache in memory.

"How?" I ask suspiciously

"You need to strengthen your body in order to allow it to harness all the power you hold." Madame Pomfrey answers me.

"So I need to run a lap every morning?" I ask hesitantly.

"No," Pomfrey answers, I look up to see her smiling in mirth, "You will need to slowly build up the power of the spells you are using."

"How?"

"I will compose a list of spells you can use at various levels of power, after dinner each night, you will come here and perform them under supervision.

"Whoopee!" I say in false excitement. I despise running. I turn to Dumbledore questioningly, looking him in the eyes, thinking of my friends.

"If you could please excuse us, I would like to talk to Miss Nelson alone," Dumbledore states, keeping his sparkling blue eyes on me.

"But-" Madame Pomfrey immediately tries to complain, but a stare from the headmaster causes her to sigh and walk back to her office. With a slam, the door closes and I am left, all alone, with the headmaster.

"Why has no one else had this?" I ask him immediately, he moves around the bed and sits on one of the two hard backed wooden chairs.

"How old were you all before you came back?" He asks me, staring intently into my eyes. I have a vague feeling he's probably using occlumency but I ignore it.

"I was eighteen, Megan, Steph, Katherine and Adam seventeen, Hannah and Gregor were sixteen." I answer immediately.

"I believe, the reason you are the only one experiencing this is because you are of age in both the wizarding and the muggle world. In this case, you have the full power you would have had, fully mature. Yet your friends, especially the four who were seventeen will also have a high amount of power, but not as much." He tells me.

"I'll just pretend that made sense." I reply, raising an eyebrow.

"Think of it this way, a fruit becomes ripe when it is deemed juicy enough by the puckers, yes?" Dumbledore asks. I frown, not exactly understanding where his idea is going, but I nod anyways. "So, in wizarding terms, this fruit has reached maturity, at seventeen years. It has all the power needed to survive on its own. But, if you take that apple and leave it a little longer, its seeds will begin to grow, creating more power, understand so far?"

In all honestly, I am completely lost. But I don't want him to go over it again, so instead I nod, keeping my expression blank.

"When the seeds are hatched, the apple grows in power. The power inside the apple doubles. To us, when we reach muggle age of maturity, our power grows more, it festers and develops as we grow, preparing to double in order to give life."

I frown again. What he's saying, is that although wizards reach maturity at seventeen and can legally cast magic everywhere, the magic within them is still growing, getting stronger.

"In your case, your soul was brought back and shaped into the image we see, your eleven year old self. The magic that entered you is the magic which would be held in your eighteen year old body, the magic a soul of eighteen years can easily hold and maintain. Yet you are in an eleven year old body witch will struggle to hold and use the vast amount of energy and magic in it." I start to nod, now understanding.

"But, does that mean that they're power will grow to that of an eighteen year olds on their birthdays?" I ask him.

"I honestly don't know," he tells me, shaking his head, "possibly their powers will remain as they are until they reach their normal ages, or it will grow. We won't know."

"You'll find out soon, Finlay's birthday is on the 21st," I tell him with a smile.

"Either way," Dumbledore finishes, standing up and nodding towards the infirmary doors, "I believe you have a detention to be attending?"

I groan, _does being in hospital not mean I can get_ _ **out**_ _of going to detention?_ By the grin the headmaster is giving me, I decide that, no, being in Hospital does not excuse you from your detention.

Getting out of the Hospital wing, I look around me, having no idea where I am, I can't remember the books ever saying what floor the Hospital Wing was on either, so, deciding I am at least up a couple floors, I decide to hunt for a staircase and just head down until I see something familiar. Finding my way eventually back down to the dungeons, I nock on the classroom door, panting at having ran half the way.

"You're late." The oily tones of the professor inform me needlessly, I glare at the door but open it and step in, carefully keeping my expression blank.

"I told you, we need maps." I answer as I close the door behind me.

"You will be cleaning the cauldrons in the store room." He informs me. I roll my eyes and head to the door opposite his desk. Stepping through, I groan.

There are a _LOT_ of cauldrons. With a sigh, I take a cloth and begin scraping the multi-colored gook from within. All the while, cursing the greasy haired teacher.

By about half an hour, I have stopped cursing Snape, instead concentrating on whether we should be doing something about Pettigrew or not. Sirius is innocent and should get out of Azkaban. But, on the other hand, if we get Pettigrew in prison, what will happen with Voldemort? Will another follower escape and bring him back? Or will it just not happen and he remains a wraith until Harry dies naturally? Plus, is it fair to leave Sirius in prison for another two years just because I want to have an idea on what will happen later on? And it is unfair for Harry, who has to go back to the Dursley's in order to keep the wards up. Sirius could put much stronger wards than some stupid Blood protection up.

These thoughts successfully occupy me from the ache beginning to grow in my arm from scrubbing so hard, as well as the added ache in my back and neck from the way I am sitting.

"That'll do for now." The soft, silky tones of Snivellus rings through the room. With a sigh of relief, I drop my thirteenth cauldron and leave the back room. "I hope this will teach you not to back mouth a professor." He smirks. I bite my tongue, refusing to rise to the bait.

"Goodbye sir." I say stiffly turning to walk out the room. Then I get an idea.

"Three years, he will be back in three years." Then I close the door behind me, smirking as I run out the hall. Just as I leave the final corridor, Snape's door crashes open.

Laughing, I enter the common room. This is gonna be a fun set of detentions.

Then I remember.

I am a Slytherin. Snape is the head of Slytherin house. Ah Shit! The wall to the common room barges open as I wince, half way towards the female's dorms. Staying stock still, staring ahead at the dorms and wishing I could teleport or _something,_ I can only listen as I hear Snape come closer to me.

The rest of the Common room is silent, barely even breathing as I can imagine the stormy look Snape is sending towards my frozen form.

"Miss Nelson," I wince again at the soft, silky anger in his voice as he stops directly behind me, my heart is thudding in my chest, so loud, I am surprised he can't hear it. Maybe he can, and he is enjoying this. "Come with me." There is no room for argument as he turns back around, his cloak hitting the back of mine as he turns away. I silently turn and walk after him, head kept down as I hear the whispers begin.

And I haven't even had a chance to look through the occlumency book, I am screwed.

But wait, I never gave anything away, why didn't he just leave it and wait until tomorrow to say something? I t doesn't make sense, why would he call me back after just saying he will be back in three years?

As we reach a door, I take a guess it is his office, I realize I just wasted that time. Closing my eyes, I picture a large wall surrounding my thoughts, barbed wire atop the wall.

Holding the image strongly, I follow after the enraged potions master. With a gulp, I walk in, and look at the tall, slim spy, standing a meter in front of me, arms behind his back, and dark, hollow eyes boring into my own.

 _The wall, Louise. Concentrate on the wall!_ I scream at myself.

"Professor." I say coolly.

"Miss Nelson." He answers, lips thinning, "I want a word. Sit." He turns, cloak swishing and walks back to his desk, gesturing to the seat in front of it. I stiffly walk towards the seat and sit down.

"No cauldrons?" I ask, looking back at him but refusing eye contact.

"Clearly." He replies shortly. "I want some answers."

"I want doesn't get." I say without thinking. His eyes widen fractionally. Then narrow into slits.

"When you're the teacher, you get everything you want." He snarls.

"So my life goal is supposed to be to become a teacher then?" I ask.

"Don't push it." I close my mouth with a snap, playing with my hands under my desk.

"Who will be back?" He asks.

"Huh?"

"Do not play games with me Miss Nelson." He warns.

"I'm not!" I implore, widening my eyes but still not catching his, staring at his forehead, "I don't know what you're talking about!"

"If you won't do it the easy way," he picks up a clear vial from his desk, "we will do it the hard way. Do you have any idea what this is, Miss Nelson?" _Why does he have a vial of veritaserum on his desk!?_

"Veritaserum?" I raise an eyebrow, looking at the clear liquid.

"Correct. Do you know what it does?"

"In any other class I would have gotten points for that, first years aren't supposed to know what veritaserum is." I reply cheekily.

"I repeat, do you know what it does?" I roll my eyes.

"It forces the drinker to tell the truth. But it's flawed." I answer. He pauses, and I know I caught him off guard.

"And how so?" He asks.

"Because it forces the teller to tell the truth. But the teller could theoretically convince themselves that the lie is the truth and so by telling the lie they believe they are telling the truth and so does the potion and so the person can get away with telling the lie."

Snape looks at me, stunned.

"Does that deserve at least one house point sir?" I ask, smirking. Professor Severus Snape does not answer. He looks at me, wordlessly. "Sir?" I ask, getting concerned. We stare at each other, blue eyes against fathomless black.

 _Oh my hippogriff! Did I break Snape!?_

"I still want my answer." He snarls eventually, taking a quill and parchment out.

"Huh? What answer?" I ask, blinking at his sudden change.

"Who is coming back?"

"So no house points then?" I sigh sadly, "you wouldn't believe me if I told you sir."

"Try me."

"Voldemort."

"The Dark lord is dead."

"You know sir, if you don't follow him, why do you call him that?"

"Stick to the point." He says, this time with a little less venom. "How do you know he's coming back?"

"I'm afraid I can't tell you that."

"And why not?"

"Because." I say with a smirk.

"Miss Nelson if you do not answer me right now..."

"You will break the law and force veritaserum down my throat?" I ask pleasantly.

"Twenty points from Slytherin."

"That's not fair! This is your own house you're taking them from!"

"Another ten, and I can quickly bring them back up. Now answer the question." I narrow my eyes, glaring at the man I used to, when watching the movies and reading the books, pity. But now hatred is seething through me. He's just a selfish jerk who doesn't know how to teach to save his life.

"Compromise?" I ask, quirking an eyebrow, still glaring at him.

Mr. Selfish says nothing.

"Question for a question?" Barely visibly, he nods. I grin in triumph.

"I'm from the future." I answer, he raises an eyebrow, looking much more awesome than me when I'm doing it. "Told you, you wouldn't believe me. Now my turn. Do you teach Hufflepuff's and Ravenclaw's differently than us?"

"They tend to be more competent at potion making." Mr. semi-agreeable answers. "Prove you're from the future."

"How?"

"Let me in."

"What!? You pervert!" I screech, backing away from him.

Snape looks completely confused for a second until realization dawns and his sickly white pallor turns a deep shade of crimson. "Do you know of Occlumency?" He asks.

"Yes. And you're awful at teaching it."

"Let me in your mind to see your telling the truth."

"Um wasn't my reaction proof enough? What eleven year old would have turned 'let me in' into a sick pervert reaction?"

"Depends on how you were brought up." He answers, I feel my mouth slacken. _He seriously believes an eleven year old could react like that? In the nineteen hundreds?_

"On a condition." I answer. "You teach us the same you do the other two houses."

"Legilemens!"

All of a sudden, _I am in my foster carer's home, playing catch with my sister._

*  
 _I'm in a waiting room as my biological mum steps out, she smiles widely and runs towards me._  
 _*_

 _I'm chasing my friends around the playground, laughing._

 _Sitting in the heads office, told I have the chicken pox._

 _I'm crying in the car home, my biological dad just been sentenced to jail._

 _I'm sitting in my bunk bed, reading a book to my sister and the other foster kids._

 _I'm in another car, driving away from my mother for the last time. Looking back to see her trying not to cry, face scrunched up in pain._

 _Sitting in the living room, nervously awaiting the first time I get to see my new parents, my sister next to me, wearing matching outfits._

 _I'm arriving at my new parent's house, playing with the dogs._

 _My sister and I are sitting in a car, driving away from our foster home, ready to move in with our new parents._

 _It's my sisters 5th birthday, I get a little book as they just missed my seventh birthday._

 _First day at our new school, I can hear my sister crying in the other classroom._

 _I'm excited as we sit in the car, getting the day off school, the adoption is officially going through._

 _Mum just finished getting a tattoo, Winnie the Pooh and friends with Louise and Lisa written over the top in cursive Writing, 04/04/2004 in a line at the characters' feet. Finally I'm loved, a family who loves me._

 _Meeting two kids down the road from us, Hannah and her little sister._

 _I'm auditioning for a play, its primary seven. I get the part._

 _First time visiting high school, feeling overwhelmed by the amount of people._

 _First day of high school, not leaving my friends side._

 _My friend hanging with others, leaving me behind._  
 _*_  
 _Learning my dog is seriously ill_  
 _*_  
 _Being told my dog is being put down_  
 _*_  
 _Sitting in music listening to a song, Death Dances, crying in the dark because Sabre was just put down._

 _Drawing into myself, becoming lonely, retreating to the library._

 _Reading nonstop, always seen with a book._  
 _*_  
 _Arriving home and told to sit down, told our other dog, Tyson died during the day._  
 _*_  
 _On a school walk, at the back,_ _book in hand, another girl in my year, short, a bit on the tubby side, walks next to me, I put the book aside._

 _Sitting laughing with my new friend, Megan._

 _Inviting Megan over to a sleepover for the first time._

 _Meeting Megan's other friend, another Megan._

 _Starting third year of High School, 2011._

 _Megan W brings a new girl, distinctly Ginger with her to our corner, I smile at her._

 _Inviting my three friends to my birthday party._  
 _*_  
 _Getting two new dogs, Samson and Tj_  
 _*_  
 _Kissing Adam for the first time, going out on a date._

 _Mutually splitting up with Adam via text._

 _Getting back together a year later, now sixth year._

 _Getting another dog, Milo. A birthday present for mum._

 _I'm celebrating the New Year in a hotel, babysitting, writing on Facebook, welcome_ _to 2014 everyone!_  
 _*_

 _Going up to my room to play on my computer, hearing a thud downstairs, my sister shouting up that Tj wacked his head, going down stairs, seeing Tj looking really ill._

 _Tj going to and from the vets for the next week._

 _Being told there is liquid around Tj's heart, he is going to get it fixed, and will be back in a couple days._

 _Getting diagnosed with continuous anxiety._

 _Getting a phone call that night. Mum trying not to cry. She goes upstairs to talk to dad. Dad comes back downstairs, crying. They have decided to put Tj down, there was a tear in his heart and he was losing too much blood._

 _Getting accepted into College_

 _Breeding Samson, getting pick of the litter, bringing Trojan home._

 _First day of college, sitting nearest the door, unsure of anyone there._

 _Slowly getting to know everyone_

 _Starting to become friends with Katherine_

*  
 _I'm sitting in college, writing down all our names along with 'Harry potter marathon participants'_

 _I wake up on the train._  
 _*_

Next I'm back in Snape's office, a headache starting to form. Snape looks stunned, eyeing me with a slight glare.

"That, sir, was mind rape. I don't think I'll be attending another of your detentions." I turn and storm out the room, not passing another glance to the professor.

Once out of the office, I lean back on the wall, I hadn't thought of my biological family for a long time, the pain on my mother's face when we were being driven away features on the back of my eyelids. Agony races through my heart as a deep aching longing for her arms around me rages through my system.

 _God, I miss her._

With a deep breathe, I wipe a tear from my cheek and sigh. I want my sister

I snort.

Eighteen years old and missing my little sister, how pathetic!

I instead glare at the dungeon door to Snape's office before turning and walking away, wandering the halls aimlessly as I think about the new predicament I find myself in.

What are they thinking back home? To wake up and find me gone. _Well at least I don't have to worry about my assessments,_ I grin to myself. And whose right is it to put Harry through what's going to happen to him? He's a kid and has a right to be one. Why should he be faced by voldepants? And why should we listen to 'D'? We don't know who he is, he just drags us away and expects us to do as he says...

My hand freezes, about to open a door but a low growl is heard from within.

 _Oh come on! I just happen to arrive on the third floor corridor?_

"Stupid Fluffy, Stupid Snape, stupid Dumbledore, stupid Hagrid." I scowl and turn, face to face with Peeves.

"Look it's an ickle firstie!" He grins, flicking the right way up and eyeing me. I roll my eyes.

"Yes, peeves, well spotted."

"This corridor is forbidden." He tells me, floating backwards, I follow.

"I realized," I deadpan, "can you tell me where to go from here then?" I ask, fingers crossed.

"FIRST YEAR IN THE FORBIDDEN CORRIDOR!" He screeches, whizzing away. I curse, a set of words that really shouldn't have come out of an eleven year old's mouth.

"I don't like you." I politely inform the empty corridor before rushing the other way.

Panting, I eventually make it to the common room and step inside. I ignore the stares and head straight to my dorm, uninterrupted this time.


	13. Chapter 13 - Stupor

**Changing From Within**

 _Chapter Thirteen_

Stupor

I wake up in a mood. Partly due to my stupid ass alarm clock, and partly due to feeling crappy over crying myself to sleep. Thankfully, the other girls recognize my mood and stay clear, allowing me to get changed and head down to breakfast by myself.

Spotting Snape at the staff table, I spare a death glare his way and take a seat the closest to the door, keeping half an eye on the Potions Professor in case he tries anything, ensuring I have a secure escape route.

After finishing a quick bowl of cereal, my escape is impeded by the incoming Hufflepuff's and Gryffindor's, three of which immediately cut of and surround me, Mega, Hannah and Steph. They're worried non-stop talk reminds me that they don't know what happened last night. The last thing they would have heard, was me fainting in Transfiguration.

Deciding to sit down at the less boisterous Hufflepuff table, I am reluctantly dragged to the over end of the hall where the other Hufflepuff's empty a space for us, allowing the privacy they want. Sighing in defeat, I wait until they have filled they're plates and start eating before filling them in on both the hospital visit and detention with Snape.

Through my stupor, I vaguely take notice of Steph's unnatural quietness, she smiles makes the appropriate noises, but she doesn't speak up as she normally would. With the weekends fight still fresh on my mind, however, I take note and decide to confront Steph about it later, instead sulking quietly as Hannah and Megan discuss Snape and what we should do about it.

When Breakfast finishes, I wave my goodbyes to the girls, nod a quick greeting to the Ravenclaw's and follow my housemates to our first class of the day – History of Magic. Sitting listening to a ghost drone on about Goblin rebellions quickly sends me into a mindless stupor, which I spend imagining I am back home, playing on the computer with Katherine, driving my parents mad as I shout at the unfairness of being killed non-stop. Or lying in bed chatting to Steph, Megan and Hannah via messenger. Annoying my sister by asking stupid pointless questions, taking Samson, Milo and Trojan out on a nice long walk around the park. Even the two hour bus journeys to college, knowing I can just text mum and dad, message my friends and get instant replies.

But, my daydreams are cut short by an elbow to the ribs, Tracy informing me class has ended. Still half dazed, chest heavy with tiredness, I mindlessly follow the girls, tuning their chattering out as we head up the stairs, back into Transfiguration.

As we enter the class, I notice Draco looking back and me and smirking, I childishly stick my tongue out at him, causing his face to turn bright red as he quickly turns away, whispering furiously with Blaise and Zabini.

I take my seat, shaking myself out of my stupor and finally paying proper attention to my surroundings. At the front of the room, McGonagall is informing us of our task for today, to either continue turning matches into needles, or to turn them back around again, throughout her speech, she keeps looking back towards me, stern eyebrows furrowed slightly in worry. Setting everybody to their tasks, she comes straight to my table, Tracy and Millicent look away, concentrating on their needles but I can still see them peeking over at me, curious, and rightfully so, I did collapse right next to them in this class yesterday.

"Miss Nelson, I trust you have resolved your incident from yesterday?" McGonagall smoothly interrupts my inner monologue, causing me to look away from my friends to catch her eye. I smile sheepishly and nod, schooling my expression into one I know she would be expecting.

"Yes, Professor, I exerted myself too much over the weekend," I inform her, voice steady as the rest of the class listens in.

"Will you be able to complete your task today?" McGonagall continues, oblivious of the rest of the classes' interest.

"Yes, miss, I'll be fine." I answer, wishing for her to go away, to leave me alone. She does so, heading to the front of the class and talking to Zabini. Chatter slowly starts to re-filter into the classroom, but with the class being as small as it is, I can easily hear every derogatory word Draco is sending my way.

"Louise?" I turn back to Tracy, trying desperately to tune Draco out as I feel my temper rising again, showing itself in the sparking of my wand.

"Yeah, Tracy?" I manage to force out, she ether doesn't notice, or decides not to comment as she continues with what she was going to say regardless.

"Can you introduce me to your friends sometime? I know you always go over to them, and I will understand if you don't want me included but-" She finishes awkwardly, looking down at her needle, twiddling her thumb in her hands, I glance over to her, noticing with a slight giggle that she has gone slightly pink.

"Of course I will, Tracy," I say, biting my lip to stop laughing at the sudden relief she shows, looking back up at me with a large grin, almost splitting her cheeks.

"Thank you," She grins, sitting straighter in her seats. Thankful for her distraction, I turn back to my needle, that I still can't remember turning yesterday, glancing up at the board, I read off the incantation and wand movement and get to work, taking a deep calming breath

"Convertimini," I say firmly, pointing my wand at the match. Nothing happens. Growling in frustration, I sit back in my seat, deciding counting slowly to fifty might help calm me down. As I mentally begin counting down, taking long, deep breaths as I do, I study my wand.

It is a nice, dark wood, with a twisted front. Turning the wand over in my hand, I study the patterned handle, waves and curves have been carved delicately into the wood, all leading up to a rope like twining, ending the handle and starting the shaft. The twining being so delicately carved, there are tiny little fayed like patches in the wood. Getting back down to zero in my countdown, I make another mental note to look up the properties of my wand – Unicorn hair core and hazel wood.

Getting back to the spell at hand with a clearer focus, I succeed in changing the thin, metal like needle into a thick based, square shaped wood piece, which immediately falls apart.

"What!?" I exclaim out loud, staring in bewilderment at the chips of wood. McGonagall, who had been one desk in front on me, looking at Daphne's work, looks up at me, then down at the table, where my wand/needle is supposed to be sitting.

"How?" On Daphne's other side, Millicent had also looked up and is now frowning at the mess on my table, "How did you manage that?"

"That, Miss Bullstrode," McGonagall answers for me, "is what happens when one is not fully focussed on the transfiguration at hand, the transfigured object will wither away."

"But I was paying attention!" I immediately object, glaring at my wand distrustfully.

"For your match to end up like that," McGonagall continues, coming around the tables to stand up front, obviously noticing _this time_ that the whole class is paying full attention to 'let's put a downer on Louise's emotion's day.' "You are distracted or not full in control of your own emotions." I nod, cheeks flaming red as I relax the tight grip I had been holding on my wand.

"In order to perform a successful Transfiguration, one must be in full control of both their thoughts and their emotions, as your magic is directly linked to both."

McGonagall continues the rest of the lesson giving us pointers on how to control our magic and our emotions. A lecture I quickly tune out of. I don't need her to tell me how to manage my own emotions, they are mine and mine alone. If I'm going to be in a mood, then so be it, I will take a day off classes and away from these bastard Slytherins I am stuck with.

Why couldn't I have been in Gryffindor with Steph? I would have had Steph to talk to during all our lessons, we know each other. Or even in Hufflepuff with Megan and Hannah, I would have loved to have so much time to spend with them, plus Megan can take some excellent notes. Even Ravenclaw, I'd rather be bullied by Ravenclaw's for not being smart enough than put down slowly by Slytherin house.

Finally, the bell rings. I make more excuses to Tracy and Millicent, informing them I just want to be alone for a little while and yes, Tracy, I will introduce you properly, just not now. Slowing down and waving them ahead, I amble down the corridors towards the halls alone, staying close to the wall for minimal jostling by the other students rushing towards food.

Somewhere on the second floor, I spot a familiar ginger haired girl cutting away from a small group of Gryffindor's. Rushing forward, I start walking alongside the only female muggleborn of the group.

"Hermione, where did Steph go?" I ask, smiling apologetically at her slight jump at my sudden appearance.

"She went to be alone," Hermione informs me, shaking off the slight scare.

"Did she say where to?" I ask, suddenly concerned, it isn't like Steph to run away from friends like that.

"No," Hermione answers, she looks sideways at me for a while, face contorting as she decides what to say next. "But, she has been acting a bit – off, today," she finally decides, stopping at the corner of the hall as the rest of her house head straight down the stairs.

"Off how?" I ask, remembering how quiet Steph had been during breakfast.

"She's been quiet, sort of distant," Hermione informs me. She shakes her head, looking up into my face, and, with a gesture back down the hall, tells me to go to her and see if I can help.

Having nothing else to do, and not wanting to face my house, I shrug, agreeing readily. As Hermione heads down the stairs after her class, I turn back around, quickly ducking around an older Ravenclaw as I do.

With my want in hand, I use the point me spell to find Steph sitting in an old, dusty classroom, staring blankly out the window.

"Hey," I start, my footsteps muffled on the rug as I jump onto the table next to her. Noticing tears running silently down her face, I automatically lean over, putting my arm over her and bringing her closer.

"I don't know if my dad is okay, Louise," Steph states, keeping her gaze to the window, I follow suit, holding one of my closest friend close as we watch the clouds drifting through the skies. "What if he has fallen ill again, and it's all my fault because I'm here, we've just vanished!"

Sighing at having my own fears from last night thrown straight back in my face, I close my eyes, blocking out the too cheery weak August light." I can't say I know exactly how you feel, Steph," I start, "but I do feel the same, the unknown of weather we actually exist back in that world anymore, If we are still there and kicking, or just vanished from our beds." Steph releases a loud sob, shoulders shaking. "There isn't really anything I can say to help, Steph, I'm feeling the same, the fear, the loss, the need to receive a hug from my family.

"But, we have each other, we have to hope we can somehow find a way to compensate what we are feeling with each other,"

"What if he is seriously ill again? What if- what if he dies and I'm not there!?"

"We will be there, Steph, we are only back twenty four years. We will grow back up, and find a way to include ourselves in our families, become friends with them, and when we vanish to come back here, we can explain what happened, we will be there, Steph, you with your Dad, me with my family, Katherine, Megan, Hannah, Gregor and Adam. We won't be the same, but I promise you, we will all be there for our families when the time comes."


	14. Chapter 14 - Lost Wounds

**Changing from Within**

 _Chapter 14_

Lost Wounds

Wiping away our tears, Steph and I decide to head downstairs to get some food, walking in companionable silence as we each leave the other to our own thoughts. We don't meet anyone until we hit the doors to the great hall, where Hannah, Megan, Katherine, Adam and Gregor are waiting on us. Without a word, Megan steps forward, embracing the two of us in a supportive embrace.

"We're sitting together for lunch," She informs Steph and I as she steps away, "at the Slytherin table," she looks pointedly at me with a smirk, "as you have been to all the other tables already." I grin at their acceptance and with a renewed confidence, we walk into the hall together, ignoring the stares as the group of us head straight to the Slytherin table, taking our places at the far end, next to Pansy, Millicent, Tracy and Daphne.

As expected, Daphne turns away from us with a shake of her head, clearly showing her disapproval. Pansy, sitting next to Draco, sniffs hotly, apparently not haven forgiven me over the spat with Draco on Saturday. Tracy turns bright red, her eyes flicking from me to the others.

"I know I asked you to introduce me," she starts, glaring at me, "but I didn't mean like this!" I laugh at the Slytherin tables, reaction to me bringing a Gryffindor, two Hufflepuff's and three Ravenclaw's into their midst.

"Don't worry," I tell her, shaking my head with a smile, "they're here for moral support."

"What moral support would you need?" Pansy cuts in, sneering nastily in my direction.

"Help in dealing with people like you." I answer instantaneously, smirking at her outraged shock.

"Louise," Adam reprimands me, I turn to see his smirk equaling my own, "don't be mean to the less fortunate." Pansy turns her back to us, turning instead to talk to a vaguely disgruntled Draco Malfoy. I did not realize Pansy's infatuation with Draco had started this early! _I mean, come on! she's eleven years old, and he's an arrogant prick._

"Well?" Katherine starts, turning to me as I give Pansy an immature stink eye. "Are you going to introduce us?"

"I'm pretty sure I already have," I answer, turning away from the odd eleven-year-old to grin cheekily at Katherine.

"Well introduce us again." She orders, I roll my eyes but oblige, happy to be distracted.

"Okay," I gesture to Tracy sitting next to me, "This is Tracy. Tracy, this is Katherine, Megan, Hannah, Steph, Gregor and Adam."

"Yes, Louise," Gregor buts in, "We know, that is Daphne, Millicent, Pansy, Draco, Blaise and Zabini." Rolling my eyes, I sit back to watch my new and old friends interact. Only Tracy seems particularly happy to talk to any of them, with Daphne being her usual quiet self and Millicent deciding to talk briefly with Adam and Gregor before turning back to their meals quietly.

The rest of lunch is uneventful, minus some glares from other Slytherin's, we finish our meal in peace and head to our next classes; Charms and Transfiguration for the Slytherin's; Defense Against the Dark Arts and History of Magic for the Gryffindor's; Potions for Hufflepuff's and Ravenclaw's and then Charm's for the 'Puffs and Defense Against the Dark Arts for the Ravenclaw's.

Taking dinner together again, Steph brings up the question they had all no doubt been asking themselves – why was I in the Hospital wing? Noticing the first year Slytherin's interest switching to us after Steph's question, I quickly downplay, deciding to tell them the whole story later, when we do not have as many listening ears.

"Delayed magical exhaustion from that game we played on Saturday," I say with a shrug, Gregor and Adam both from, glancing at each other and deciding Gregor should ask.

"Why did Transfiguration suddenly set it off? Transfiguration was two whole days after the game, your magic would have recovered in that time." He asks, matter of fatly, I discreetly send him a glare for making me go more into it, at the slight furrow of his eyes, I quickly glance to the Slytherin males sitting a little away from us, all of them suspiciously quiet as they eat their food.

"Because I set a ward on my bed Sunday, which set me off to not be ready for Transfiguration." I answer shortly, huffing at the skeptical looks my friends send me.

"Why did you set a ward on your bed?" Katherine asks, "Do you not trust the girls in your dorm?" Daphne, Tracy and Millicent look up, smirking at me.

"Yeah, Louise," Tracy grins, "Do you not trust me? I'm hurt!" I roll my eyes, shaking my head at the playful glint in Tracy's eyes.

"I was just trying out a spell I found." I answer, semi-honestly. I don't trust the girls in my dorm, as I _am_ a muggleborn, even if I have led them to believe I may be something else. Plus, I know things I shouldn't and I need a space I can safely be myself, my almost twenty-year-old self. Something I cannot, under any circumstances, trust the Slytherin girls' with. There is always a risk we are unable to stop Voldemort from appearing and any of them may turn to him, may try to turn me to him. I need my personal space away from the children.

"And that reminds me," I add out loud, "I need to go to Madame Pomfrey after dinner for a check-up."

"Why?" Millicent asks, "Loads of us had magical exhaustion on Saturday and don't have to go back." I turn to her, noticing a flash of suspicion in Daphne's usually blank eyes as I do. _She better not become a problem later._

"Because it was both delayed and came with a bit of a concussion," I answer honestly… well that's what Pomfrey thinks, I don't know if Dumbledore may have told her or not however…

I tune out of the conversations again, noting blankly that I seem to be pulling myself away from everyone else a lot more frequently than before. Usually I would be the center of the talking, keeping everyone together, especially in our Facebook chats. But now that Katherine has met my friends in person, she seems happy to chat with them, getting along with Steph and Hannah wonderfully.

Glancing up at the staff table, my thoughts drift back to the memories Snape forced me to witness. Of my dogs, whom I may never get to clap, cuddle and play with again. To my sister.

The sister I may have hated with all my being at certain times because of the unfair treatment, her being the favorite of the two of us. But my sister despite it all. My only blood relative. The two of us together for ever despite our constant arguments. Thinking of her, I try and imagine what house she would be in if she were actually here, probably Hufflepuff. I couldn't imagine her in another house. I can almost picture her sitting over with the yellow house, getting to know everyone and becoming friends with them. Growing up in another life, this time with no parents splitting us up – just house rivalries which we would work together to get rid of.

I can miss and wish all I want, it won't do anything to bring her here, to experience what I am experiencing. Shrugging off the increasingly depressing thoughts, I tune back into the world around me, noticing dinner is finished.

Getting up from the table, I wave a goodbye to my friends and head off in search for the Hospital Wing, but with no idea where it is, I soon find myself thoroughly lost. Admitting defeat, I turn to the nearest portrait, one of a no doubt previous Hogwarts student, and ask for directions.

Deciding "Just keep walking and follow your dreams, dearie, you will find what you need in time,2 Is not the answer I need, I continue down the hallway to the next portrait, this one of three men in a tavern, clearly drinking. Not wanting to risk another stupid answer, I turn into the next hall to find a very useful young male in a study. He informs me of exactly where I need to go – follow the corridor, take a left and the doors are at the end of the hall – he also offers to come along with me. I politely decline, thanking him and heading off.

Once at the Hospital Wing, I find Madame Pomfrey tending to an older student with some nasty looking burns on his torso.

"Potions?" I ask, stepping up to them, wincing in sympathy at the painful looking raw red skin.

"Nope, Defense class gone wrong," The guy informs me, grinning past Madame Pomfrey's form. "Hey, you're that Slytherin who started up the game, yes?" Unable to see the colour of his robes due to Madame Pomfrey blocking him, I just politely nod, not wanting to start some argument. "You were proper brave facing up to McGonagall like that," he informs me, grinning wildly, "you would have made a great Gryffindor," _ah ha! So that's his house._

"You would _want_ a slimy snake in your house?"I ask him, smirking at his affronted glare.

"I don't agree with the stupid house rivalries in this place," He says, "I'm here for my education then getting out as fast as possible," I laugh slightly at his disgruntle look bu before I can reply, Madame Pomfrey seems to have finally figured there is another student in the ward with them and tells me to go sit on the bed at the other side of the ward. I pout at being sent so far away but do as I am told, sitting on a bed and watching as the boys red skin slowly becomes more pinkish and then normal again. He is dismissed not five minutes later.

He turns back to me just before closing the door, "Ryan Scott, third year, pleased to meet you." He closes the door behind him and I am faced with a slightly irate Pomfrey.

"Have you cast any spells today?" She asks, conjuring a seat and sitting down in front of me.

"No, it was all note taking and essay making today," I answer her truthfully, grimacing at the boring classes.

"Alright, I want you to try and levitate that book," She points to a thick medical journal on the bedside table next to us. I raise my eyes slightly but take my wand out.

"You do know we haven't actually cast the spell in class yet, don't you?" I ask as I point my wand at the book, _swish and flick_ I think doing so. I mutter the incantation under my breathe, watching in satisfaction as the book floats steadily off the table and towards Madame Pomfrey, where I direct it to drop gently in her lap.

"From that performance, I beg to differ," Pomfrey answers me, sending the book back with a wave of her own wand. "So you can easily cast first year spells, and apparently seventh year warding spells, so how about we try something a bit more powerful?"

"Like the Patronus charm?" I ask, sitting up straighter in excitement.

"That charm takes more than the raw power you seem to possess; it takes a strong happy memory as well as a steady core. With how strong your core is and the odd reaction to exhaustion, I wouldn't say your core is steady enough for that charm just yet,"

"What about Stupefy and Enervate?" I ask, grinning wildly as Pomfrey seems to be debating my suggestion. "Worst that could happen is you wake up in like twenty minutes." I add, grinning as she nods. She gets up, gesturing for me to get off the bed and takes my place on it.

"Wait." I stand, open mouthed looking at eh old Matron, "Are you really going to let me do that?"

"I need to see how powerful you are, and in order to do so I need you to perform stronger spells." I shrug and quickly shoot my wand forward, Pomfrey is unconscious, hanging over the bed before she can change her mind. I shake my head at her trust. I could do anything right now; I could _kill_ her – not that I would! Shaking my head from the stupid thoughts, I cast the reverse spell, "Enervate" And watch as Madame Pomfrey slowly comes back to, shaking her body slightly as she sits up, looking at me contemplatively.

"How long was I out?" she asks, standing up.

"Less than a minute," I answer, "I brought you back to immediately." Her eyes widen in obvious shock.

"So you cast Stupefy and almost immediately after cast the Enervate charm?" She asks.

"Yes," I nod, frowning up at her, "Why?"

"Can you try the Patronus charm for me?" She then asks, a flicker unreadable light in her eyes.

"But you said I wasn't stable enough to cast it."

"You woke someone from unconsciousness almost immediately, that takes concentration. Try it, I assume you know the incantation?"

In answer, I think of my friends, of the love and acceptance I feel when I am with them. Of the carefree attitude we have. "Expecto Patronum." I state clearly, almost bursting with love. Out of my wand comes a small, pure white puppy. Despite the lack of coloring, I immediately recognize it as aa much younger Tj. He bounds over to me, tail wagging. I bend down, eyes already watering at seeing my recently deceived dog running for a hug. I immediately bend down and am met with the shadow of kisses over my face.

"I have missed you _so_ much baby boy," I whisper, holding the soft, but touchable light in my arms, laughing through my tears as he answers with more kisses. "I can't wait to see you again, Tj," I murmur, hugging him tighter as I feel him start to fade. "thank you, thank you so much for coming to see me!" With a sob, I watch as Tj is once again taken from me too soon. For a light spell that needs happiness, it certainly didn't bring me any happiness.

Sure, seeing him again was great… but he was a light. My baby boy, just a phantom light to scare away Dementors. I can't even give him a proper hug any more.

I wish my patronus could have been anything but Tj as the old pain in my chest, which I had though healed, reopens. The pain at losing him so soon, at only five years old comes back.

Without thinking or saying a goodbye, I run from the Hospital Wing, losing myself in the castle as sobs tear themselves from my throat. I eventually find myself in one of the towers, judging by the star charts, I take a guess I have found myself in the Astronomy tower.

Taking a deep breath, I head outside to the balcony, looking down at the ground scarily far away. In the distance is the forbidden forest, a dark figure vanishing into the trees as I glance away. My thoughts on my sister, whom I am probably never going to see again. On my mum and dad, whom I had gone to bed after a row. A stupid row. Over me spending too much time on my computer. I had slammed the door in their faces. What do they think now? That I ran away? Are they even looking for me? What about Lisa? What does she think? Is she thinking about me at all? Or forgotten me, like she did with Tj.

Taking a deep breath, I close my eyes, losing myself in the cold, crisp wind cutting through the air.


	15. Chapter 15 - The best decision

**Changing from Within**

 _Chapter Fifteen_

The Best Decision?

The next week pass with me in a constant flunk, a flunk I see Steph and Katherine sharing. We sit with each other at lunch, but Hannah and Megan do most of the talking. Guessing they are also missing their families, I stay quiet. Answering questions when asked but generally keep my thoughts to myself.

Madame Pomfrey notices. She still expects me to come in and try spells every night, some days we do first year spells and others' more advanced. She never gets me to try the patronus again, however. Something I am both thankful and hateful for. Friday's turn out to be a very bad day, despite being the last day of the week. The night before, we are expected to treck all the way up to the Astronomy tower for our lesson there, we didn't get back to our common room until after two in the morning, to be woken up a couple hours later for double potions.

Despite my inner flunk, I still managed to find a Slytherin representative for our dueling club. A sixth year had come up to me asking if we would be doing it again this weekend, and I had told him what the plans were, he immediately signed himself up. I later learned, from Gemma, that he is a Half-blood, Chis Ingrid. The Weasely twins and Steph had got a guy from Gryffindor - Derrin, who had apparently been on the Quidditch team before leaving his fourth year to concentrate on his study's. Katherine, Gregor and Adam got a female, but they hadn't told me her name. And Hannah and Megan got another male.

As agreed, we meet up on Saturday, in the Headmasters office where it was agreed every Sunday afternoon, after lunch, we could have use of the Great Hall for our club. And the last Sunday of every month would be the best of each year group put against each other. Whilst the four seventh years, plus the Weasely twins got together to plan, we decided to meet in the Room of Requirement. Where Steph, Katherine and my flunks are brought forward by Megan.

"Look," she starts once we are all seated on the warm, metal seat, "I know we are all homesick-"

"Just a bit," I snort back, rolling my eyes, Megan gives me a brief glare for interrupting her.

"But we can't go around like this, we need to get this off out chests' and talk about it."

"Talk about what?" I snap back, glaring at her, "The fact that we may never see out families again?"

"I'm sure there will be a way to contact them." Megan replies, calmly.

"Yeah, like the guy who brought us here, and won't even get here until after Christmas?" I ask, glaring scathingly at the ground, our stupid fight from last week still fresh on my mind. #

"Well..." Megan pauses and I look up to see her glancing around, just as helpless as the rest of us, "Maybe we won't see them for a long time yet, but there must be something to help,"

"What, like writing letters for them?" I ask half-heartedly, to which Megan brightens.

"Yes, we can write letters for them. That way we are getting things off our chests and still talking to them... in a way."

"I'm not going to write a letter and leave it in a place any Slytherin may get a hold of it." I decline firmly.

"Yes, but your warded your bed, didn't you? So they can't get to it." Gregor adds, I glare at him for siding against me.

"I think it might help," Katherine adds quietly, looking down when we all turn to her. "And then you can maybe burn the letter," she looks up, directly at me, "so it's like you are sending it to them and at the same time keeping others from reading it." Sighing heavily, I have to admit I do see the good points in what she is saying, sort of like a sendoff.

"Did you ever find out why you collapsed?" Hannah asks, quickly changing the subject, "I mean, you told us briefly, but-"

"We apparently have the magical cores we would have had at our actual ages." I answer, grinning at Adam and Gregor's immediate interest.

"But how did that cause you to collapse? If we have a larger magical core, then shouldn't we be exempt from that?" Adam asks, frowning slightly.

"We may have the core of off age wizards, but our bodies can't handle the extent. I pushed my body too far by casting the extra powerful spell, and went over the edge. Pomfrey has been testing by making me do more powerful spells at night, and I think you would all be able to cast them as well."

"Which spells?" Gregor asks.

"Well, I cast the patronus," I answer.

"Really? what was you're animal?" Hannah asks immediately.

"What was your memory?" Steph says at the same time.

"Did it work?" Katherine asks.

I look to Hannah, "Yes, and my animal was Tj." I then turn to Steph, my face heating up slightly, "Hanging out with you guys," I then turn to Katherine, "Yup, it worked."

"Can you show us?" Megan then asks, taking her wand out of her back pocket, "and can we try?" I laugh at her eagerness, shaking my head but taking my wand out in return.

"You all remember how to cast it?" I ask, to which I receive nods from all but a very confused Adam. Which also reminds me that Adam was not a Harry Potter fan, "Expecto Patronum is the spell you cast to ward off Dementors. It runs of off your happiest memories." Adam nods and stands up.

"One at a time?" Gregor asks, looking particularly giddy.

"I'm surprised you haven't tried it already," Hannah laughs, raising her eye brows at Gregor who shrugs, his mood not dampened at all.

"Wasn't sure if we would have the power needed, as it is a highly advanced spell that most adults can't cast."

"Yeah, because they don't have the proper happy memories." Steph answers, stepping forward, "Can I go first?" At the general consensus, Steph takes a deep breath, closing her eyes tightly as she thinks of the correct memory.

With a large smile, she reopens her eyes and casts the spell, a white mist falls out of her wand, converging on the ground at her feet before starting to form, getting larger, into a semi-solid shape. Blinking a few times away from the bright light, I am finally able to look on the shape of a beautiful, pure white horse.

"Holy shit," Steph says, as the horse turns, looking her in the eyes. "That's a big horse." Steph then hesitates, her arm slowly reaching out, then turn to me, "Can I touch it?"

I laugh and nod, remembering receiving kisses from Tj. With a hesitant smile, Steph turns back to her horse and lifts her hand. The horse releases a snort and steps forward, putting its neck against Steph's hand. Obediently, Steph starts rubbing up and down the neck, smiling hugely as the horse fades away, leaving the all ready bright room somewhat darker than before.

Having seen Steph's success, Gregor steps up next, wand out and casts the spell immediately. In return, a small, but agile light falls out of his wand and onto the ground below. It forms a lot quicker than Steph's did, into a small cat. Gregor blinks at the cat, his nose wrinkled in disgust as the cat looks up at him.

"The fuck is this?" Gregor asks, looking down at the cat which is now beginning to circle his feet.

"A cat." Hannah answers for him, her hand over her mouth as she attempts to smother a laugh.

"Well that's ironic." Gregor decides, waving his wand dismissively, causing the cat to vanish in a wisp of white smoke.

"What is?" Katherine asks, not catching on as fast as the rest of us.

"Gregor hates cats." Megan answers for her, grinning as Gregor backs up, pouting at the space his patronus had just vanished from. Katherine decides to go next, smiling slightly as she takes out her wand, and coughs, saying the incantation proudly.

Out of her wand comes an elegant, flightily creature - a doe. The Doe turns to face Katherine, bump of a tail wiggling to a fro as Katherine steps forward to give it a stroke, smiling as her patronus vanishes just like the ones before it.

I turn to Adam who shakes his head, not interested. Megan and Hannah look at each other, deciding until, with a shrug, they get up together, wands in hand.

Out of Hannah's wand comes a small, furry Otter which floats threw the air, sitting happily at Hannah's shoulder. Megan looks from Hannah's nice, small Otter to her large, circling tigress.

"Nice, Megan." I comment, sniggering at Megan's slightly scared look as the pure white hunter comes up to her, sniffing her top.

"Nice Tiger." Steph adds, nodding appreciatively.

"How come you get a Tiger and all I get is a kitten?" Gregor grumps as the two Patroni fade away. Steph turns to me, looking expectantly.

"I already told you," I say, shaking my head, my heart thudding at the thought, "It's Tj."

"I know," Steph confirm, "Can we have a see?" Sighing as everyone looks at me expectantly, I close my eyes, careful to keep my thoughts on my friends, on the one time we went bowling together. Smiling as the memories of that day returns, I say the incantation, taking a deep breathe before opening my eyes again.

"You said it was Tj." Steph says from behind me, I look down at the dog, confused.

Instead of the thin, mature face I had been expecting, I am faced with the large, very puppy like face of Samson. Getting bored, Samson runs up to me, jumping up, causing me to fall back with a thump on my arse. Not caring about the pain, I immediately wrap my boy in my arms, laughing as he responds with large, almost wet feeling kisses.

"Hey, boy, I missed you." I whisper, holding him close to me, eyes shut as I breathe in the imagined scents from him. "Tell everyone I miss them too, will you?" I ask as I feel his solidity vanishing as he disappears like the others. "Patroni can change," I say, getting back up with my back to my friends, wiping my eyes roughly.

Feeling decidedly less depressed than before entering the room of requirement, we head back out, smiling and laughing as we do, discussing our new found patroni happily. Once down at the great hall, we decide to eat at the Ravenclaw table today, no one blinking an eye, used to our changing tables by now.

Half way through lunch, we are approached by a sixth year Ravenclaw who introduces herself as Andi Eason. She informs us they have decided to split up who gets what years, She will be takig all third years who are interested as well as fifth year Slytherin's, to the lake outside where she will then further be creating teams and teaching deuling techniques.

The Gryffindor, Derrin, will be taking fourth years and fifth year ravenclaws to the Quidditch pitch. Chis Ingrid, the guy who had come to me asking, was going to be taking the first years and Hufflepuff fifth years in the Great Hall. Whilst the rest, second years and Ranvenclaw fifth years, would be taken by Jaydan Dunn down by Hagrid's hut.

"What about sixth years that want to join?" I ask when Andi seems ready to leave.

"They can go with who they want, as they will be helping Chis, Derrin, Jaydon and I out." She answers, turning to go back to the top of the table, her task complete.

"Sounds fun," Hannah says, glancing around the Hall.

"But is having a Slytherin take the first years really such a good idea?" Katherine adds, I glare sharply at her to which she quickly raises a placating arm, "I don't mean it like that, but you know what Ron is like, this may ruin chances of getting Harry to join us as well."

"Fair point," I concede, shaking my head at my abrupt defence of my house, "But i'm, sure we can come up with something."

"Aren't we taking away the whole point of the DA?" Gregor puts in, lowering his voice so we are not overheard.

"Not really," Megan answers him, "As Umbridge will most likely cut this club out as soon as she hears about it, so the DA will most likely still become a thing."

"Talking about the future," I add, taking my wand out and quickly casting a Silencio around us, "What are we going to do about Sirius Black?"

"Nothing." Gregor answers shortly. I stare, open mouthed at him, as Hannah and Steph both cry out in the negative.

"And why not?" Adam asks, deciding to take the lead.

"Well, we all know he can manage another two years, we know he makes it out. And we need Pettigrew to escape inorder to resseruct Voldemort so we can destroy him."

"So you want Harry to have to go through all that, do you?" I ask, glancing over at the boy in question who is currently laughing alongside Ron and Dean. "He's just a kid."

"No, I don't want him to go threw that, but if we change to much of what happens, we won't have any advantages over the future, will we?" Gregor retorts.

"If we can destroy the Horcruxes-"

"And how do you plan on doing that?" Gregor cuts in, "By breaking into Gringotts? We know Harry, Ron and Hermione manage to defeat him in the end. All we need to do is stop as many casualties as possible."

"Theres no point if Harry and Sirius are both going to suffer." I argue back, tensing as I see Gregor's hand move towards his wand.

"you have read the books. We have the knowledge. We can save Cedric by stopping him from entereing into the cup. We can save Sirius by being there and fighting Bellatrix for him, by keeping him from the veil."

"We can't knowingly let Harry go threw all that! Besides, someone else, will put their name in, and they will die in Cedric's place, that is hardly fair."

"Well, we are creating this club, with four years of training, he and all the other students will have more chances of surviving. I will talk to Andi, and get her to concentrate on dodging techniques, that will better prepare him."

"Louise," Megan adds, "There's no point changing things so much we lose the advantage we have."Reluctantly, I nod my head in agreement, my gut tighting painfully at the thought of what I have just agreed to. Condeming an innocent man to another two years in the worst place on Earth. And a child to lose his childhood too soon.


	16. Chapter 16 - A letter Home

**Chapter sixteen**  
 _Changing from Within_  
A Letter Home

 _Dear Mum, Dad and Lisa,_

 _I know you are worried for me right now - I am too, but I am okay, as well as I could be. I have found myself in Hogwarts... twenty-two years in the past! With all of the Harry potter characters as well along with, as I am sure you have figured out, Megan, Hannah, Steph, Katherine, Gregor and Adam. We are doing okay together, despite having no idea how we got here or why._

 _We got sorted - well duh! but I now know for sure what house I would be in. Remember how I have always been a Gryfferin? Looks like one of those houses won out - Slytherin. And guess what? I am the only one here! Steph is alone in Gryffindor... but that's better than Slytherin... I'm a muggleborn! And I am scared shitless they are going to find out. My life will become a literal living hell! But, I managed to use my apparent Slytherin cunning and not tell them outright what I am... a bloody MUGGLE! They appeared to have believed me... at least I'm still alive, so that's what I'm taking from it!_

 _But... we have managed to start a club already! Only here a week and we have an official dueling club! It kinda started as a paint ball idea and then the Weasely twins came and gave us a better idea. Now we have a whole inter-house game thing! Isn't that so cool? But we had our first 'official' meeting earlier today and Ron Weasely, the mini prick he is... was not happy to be taught by a Slytherin. And so... well, you know what I'm like! I quickly introduced how-_

 _Oh! that reminds me! we are actually like really powerful! Because apparently we have the magical cores we would have had in our actual bodies. So, being in an eleven-year-old body... and isn't that just a strange thing? We have loads more power than we should have... but the power is at an average level for wizard's our actual age. But, we look super powerful and I like it! it's so cool actually being able to do magic! We all cast Expecto Patronum as well! The first time I had Tj, and I got to say goodbye to him, but when I did it again, it was Samson. I told him to say hi to you all from me, so if you got extra kisses and cuddles off him, that's why._

 _God, I wish I could see you all, I need your advice! I need to talk to you all! I'm making new friends, Tracy and Millicent are great, Daphne is quiet, but that's okay, we're working on her. And Pansy, she already seems to have an infatuation with Malfoy - can you believe it!?_

 _You'd never believe what Millicent is like, though. From the way she was portrayed in the films, I was expecting her to be a female Crabbe and Goyle but she's great! And the first night, after the sorting, she was dissing the hat because it has never been washed and who knows what it has picked up from all the children!? I had to agree with her, as well. Not the most hygienic source._

 _There's also a fight we have every morning to get into the bathroom first. Just last Tuesday, Millicent moved her bed in front of the door to get in first! So of course, I out a sticky charm on the door, and she couldn't open it, had to leave her bed to go and get her wand, and in that time, I was already in. And just this morning she stuck my curtains closed, and my wand was outside of them, I had to wait until she was finished before she let me out. I'm going to have to sleep with my wand under my pillow from now on. It's all in good fun though, although Daphne seems to think we're being childish… If only she knew!_

 _And talking about needing your advice, what do we do about Sirius? Gregor says we should leave him; we know he's going to be okay. But how can we do that? We know he is innocent; heckl we HAVE the proof! We can free him and get Harry away from the Dursley's. But, as Gregor pointed out, then we would lose our advantage of knowing what is going to happen. Pettigrew wouldn't escape and go find Voldemort. I'm pretty sure Barty Crouch Jr would still end up going to find Voldemort if we did, but if he is looking after babymort, how will they ensure Harry gets to the cup?_

 _But never mind that, Harry is a child! We can't knowingly put him through what he's going to go through! Can't we destroy the Horcruxes whilst Voldemort is a wraith and that'll kill him? But, Voldemort needs to kill Harry to get rid of Harry's Horcruxes which means Voldemort needs to come back which means Harry needs to go through it all._

 _And I HATE it. I hate being unable to change what Harry is going to go through. All we can do is be there to help him. We haven't even discussed what to do with the Stone yet. We know Quirrelmort will be going for it at the end of the year, and we know the Mirror isn't moved until after Christmas. So I think we will be end up discussing it then, we don't know what is protecting the stone right now. So there is no point going down._

 _Then we will need to try and lead Harry and Ron away from plans to go and save it. Orrrr we could sit back and just let it all run its course, we know they survive it. They become much closer friends after the experience. If we stop the three of them going through with it, we might hurt their relationship in the future. We could just go along with them. I have a semi-friendship with Hermione already through Steph and after the troll incident… will that even happen? Hermione has two friends already. Ron might not even say what he said, and Hermione won't go running off in tears and they won't have to go save her from the troll… Or Steph and I would go and possibly convince her to come to the feast._

 _AAAHHHHH! I hate this! I hate knowing what can happen and treading on needles trying not to change things but at the same time wanting so badly to change what I know will happen. But is it morally correct to leave things how they are? In the end, as long as we save as much people from death as possible, we can let Harry, Ron and Hermione go through it all, can't we? We know they survive and they become a lot stronger through it. But… They are CHILDREN! How can we morally allow that to happen? For Harry to KILL a teacher at eleven years old, for Ginny to be possessed and murder the chickens, to lose her first year. For Sirius to live on the run until we feel it is safe to capture Pettigrew. Allowing Voldemort to return, allowing Harry to DIE at his hand. All the deaths Voldemort causes. Can we allow all that to happen because 'in the end' it will all be okay? Are we becoming like Dumbledore? Doing things for the 'Greater good' Does that make us bad people? I really wish there is some way to show you this letter. To get a reply. I can't handle all of this on my own! I know the others are here with me… But I feel, well I'm the oldest. I'm the Slytherin, the cunning one, the one with the plans. No one else has really came up with any plans, so I'm stuck trying to find the right thing to do and I can't do it. I can't allow everything to happens it should. But I can't change the future so much we lose our advantage. I know where the Horcruxes are. I could destroy them. Then just wait on Voldemort coming back fourth year. And, what? Tell Harry he has to let Voldemort kill him? Harry will be FOURTEEN years old! Never mind the ritual requires the blood to be forcibly taken. If Harry knows Voldemort needs the blood to come back to kill him so Harry can come BACK and kill HIM, it will botch the whole ritual. And how do we go about saving Cedric? I read a fanfic once where Cedric was conditioned to be terrified of graveyards… that could work, he might survive…_

 _I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO._

 _Help me._

 _Please._

 _Louise._


End file.
